Cost of Living Comparison Between Karabuk and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Karabuk and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $982 in Karabuk versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,505 in Karabuk versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,029 in Karabuk versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Karabuk costs roughly 24% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Karabuk 27% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.80 ₺313

$11.73 MX$203

-42.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.35 ₺1,027

$41.62 MX$720

-46.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.38 ₺385

$10.64 MX$184

-21.24%

Cappuccino

$2.86 ₺131

$3.52 MX$60.9

-18.75%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 ₺59.3

$1.51 MX$26.12

-14.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 ₺36.47

$0.97 MX$16.84

-18.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 ₺119

$2.95 MX$51.0

-12.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₺101

$4.45 MX$77.0

-50.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 ₺33.84

$1.38 MX$23.93

-46.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 ₺16.67

$1.89 MX$32.72

-80.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 ₺96.8

$1.64 MX$28.32

28.66%

Eggs

$3.42 ₺157

$2.51 MX$43.34

36.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 ₺358

$8.34 MX$144

-6.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.43 ₺296

$8.34 MX$144

-22.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 ₺581

$10.73 MX$186

17.80%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 ₺45.69

$2.60 MX$45.04

-61.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₺68.9

$1.46 MX$25.20

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 ₺33.31

$1.90 MX$32.87

-62.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 ₺45.60

$2.08 MX$35.91

-52.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 ₺34.13

$1.78 MX$30.71

-58.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.72 ₺33.09

$2.19 MX$37.80

-67.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 ₺22.93

$1.04 MX$17.99

-51.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₺18.00

$1.08 MX$18.62

-63.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 ₺98.0

$4.08 MX$70.6

-47.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 ₺256

$10.32 MX$178

-46.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₺90.9

$1.71 MX$29.61

15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 ₺119

$2.58 MX$44.54

0.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 ₺30.44

$0.51 MX$8.81

29.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.51 ₺1,402

$26.46 MX$458

15.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₺35.88

$3.26 MX$56.4

-76.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.62 ₺28.29

$2.49 MX$43.09

-75.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.85 ₺361

$3.25 MX$56.2

141.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₺53.8

$1.31 MX$22.61

-10.69%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.8K ₺1.6M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

18.13%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.7K ₺1.8M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

65.06%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$87.8 ₺4,034

$82.9 MX$1,433

5.95%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.48 ₺298

$22.22 MX$384

-70.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.93 ₺594

$29.34 MX$507

-55.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.48 ₺1,998

$51.6 MX$893

-15.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.64 ₺351

$18.32 MX$317

-58.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 ₺228

$5.07 MX$87.6

-1.97%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$311 ₺14.3K

$201 MX$3,473

55.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,770 ₺403.0K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

68.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.08 ₺1,152

$36.92 MX$639

-32.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.01 ₺1,609

$39.79 MX$688

-12.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.6 ₺2,369

$78.5 MX$1,357

-34.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.2 ₺2,304

$87.1 MX$1,506

-42.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 ₺23.1K

$973 MX$16.8K

-48.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 ₺18.4K

$468 MX$8,090

-14.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$902 ₺41.5K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-45.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$722 ₺33.2K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-40.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,282 ₺58.9K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-67.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$928 ₺42.6K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-85.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,290 ₺59.3K

$664 MX$11.5K

94.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

250.26%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Karabuk: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Karabuk and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karabuk pays 94% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $22.00 in Karabuk vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $249 per month, with Karabuk cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Karabuk vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karabuk wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karabuk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Karabuk pays 94% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Karabuk versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karabuk – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $982 in Karabuk versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Karabuk but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Karabuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Karabuk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $982 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Karabuk hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Karabuk and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Karabuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.