Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kaštela and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,423 in Kaštela, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Kaštela
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Kaštela Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Kaštela

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,423

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kaštela and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kaštela and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,423 in Kaštela versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Kaštela $1,423
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,212 in Kaštela versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Kaštela $2,212
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,001 in Kaštela versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Kaštela $3,001
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Kaštela is roughly 18% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaštela is 5% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.95 €15.14

$10.76 MX$199

57.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.9 €68.6

$43.03 MX$794

78.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 €8.13

$11.79 MX$218

-22.73%

Cappuccino

$2.82 €2.51

$3.87 MX$71.4

-27.13%

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

$3.94 €3.52

$1.37 MX$25.26

187.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.51

$0.84 MX$15.43

235.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.67 €4.17

$3.10 MX$57.2

50.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 €4.31

$5.07 MX$93.5

-4.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.44 MX$26.52

-9.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 €1.46

$2.23 MX$41.19

-26.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.11 €2.78

$1.47 MX$27.14

111.56%

Eggs

$4.03 €3.59

$2.53 MX$46.66

59.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.01 €12.51

$7.30 MX$135

91.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 €8.23

$7.86 MX$145

17.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.07 €10.78

$12.79 MX$236

-5.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 €1.69

$2.90 MX$53.5

-34.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.44 MX$26.50

13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.55 MX$47.02

-18.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.79 €2.49

$2.06 MX$37.99

35.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 €1.82

$2.00 MX$36.93

1.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.84

$2.01 MX$37.03

2.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.19 MX$21.99

10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.26 MX$23.20

7.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 €5.14

$4.40 MX$81.3

30.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.95 €7.10

$9.59 MX$177

-17.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.59 MX$29.38

-11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 €1.27

$2.81 MX$51.9

-49.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €2.05

$0.57 MX$10.46

301.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.8 €46.23

$27.82 MX$514

86.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 €3.27

$4.98 MX$92.0

-26.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.82

$3.50 MX$64.6

-41.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.38 €26.23

$5.40 MX$99.7

444.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.47 MX$27.05

26.53%

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

$26.2K €23.4K

$21.0K MX$387.4K

24.73%

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

$25.0K €22.3K

$23.9K MX$441.3K

4.45%

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

$182 €163

$84.2 MX$1,554

116.33%

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

$25.30 €22.59

$23.99 MX$443

5.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.81 €37.34

$29.02 MX$536

44.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 €50.8

$63.0 MX$1,163

-9.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.83 €12.35

$29.14 MX$538

-52.54%

Cinema Ticket

$8.73 €7.79

$4.94 MX$91.2

76.72%

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

$423 €378

$204 MX$3,759

107.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,737 €6,016

$3,941 MX$72.8K

70.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €83.0

$43.60 MX$805

113.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.57 €24.62

$43.12 MX$796

-36.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.9

$75.8 MX$1,399

37.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.8 €87.4

$88.6 MX$1,635

10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 €428

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-52.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 €305

$374 MX$6,904

-8.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 €524

$1,708 MX$31.5K

-65.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 €476

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-51.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,241 €2,894

$3,944 MX$72.8K

-17.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,381 €2,126

$6,169 MX$113.9K

-61.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$870 €777

$754 MX$13.9K

15.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.72

11.45

-67.51%

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

Last update for Kaštela: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Kaštela

$341 24%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 9.6% $33

Groceries & Markets

Kaštela

$281 19.8%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 8.1% $23

Eating Out

Kaštela

$257 18.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 21.2% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kaštela

$249 17.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 45% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Kaštela

$145 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 22.1% $32

Getting Around

Kaštela

$75 5.3%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 29.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Kaštela

$74 5.2%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 2% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $480 in Kaštela and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaštela pays 15% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $77.0 in Kaštela vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Kaštela

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

07:53 7:53 AM

7 h behind Kaštela

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,794

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.42 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 18.46 MXN (100 MXN = 5.42 USD). 1 EUR = 20.67 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kaštela Playa del Carmen 9,460 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Kaštela
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Kaštela and Playa del Carmen differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,423 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Kaštela, 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: $480 in Kaštela versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 86% less than in Kaštela. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $423 in Kaštela versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,423 in Kaštela, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kaštela. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Kaštela 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Kaštela. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.