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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Kaštela versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,164 in Kaštela versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,932 in Kaštela versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Kaštela is roughly 8% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kaštela is 4% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.28 €14.00

$11.73 MX$203

38.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 €69.4

$41.62 MX$720

93.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.51 €8.18

$10.64 MX$184

-10.62%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.42

$3.52 MX$60.9

-20.17%

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

$3.56 €3.06

$1.51 MX$26.12

135.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.97 MX$16.84

172.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €3.96

$2.95 MX$51.0

55.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.22

$4.45 MX$77.0

-15.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.38 MX$23.93

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.89 MX$32.72

-17.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 €2.61

$1.64 MX$28.32

84.76%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.27

$2.51 MX$43.34

51.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 €8.25

$8.34 MX$144

14.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.76 €8.40

$8.34 MX$144

17.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 €10.80

$10.73 MX$186

16.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$2.60 MX$45.04

-35.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.42

$1.46 MX$25.20

13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.90 MX$32.87

11.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$2.08 MX$35.91

13.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.78 MX$30.71

-15.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 €1.25

$2.19 MX$37.80

-33.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.04 MX$17.99

36.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.08

$1.08 MX$18.62

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 €4.94

$4.08 MX$70.6

40.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.34 €6.31

$10.32 MX$178

-28.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.71 MX$29.61

-19.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.01

$2.58 MX$44.54

-54.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.00

$0.51 MX$8.81

356.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.76 €32.48

$26.46 MX$458

42.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 €2.96

$3.26 MX$56.4

5.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.49 MX$43.09

-18.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 €7.99

$3.25 MX$56.2

185.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.31 MX$22.61

29.77%

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

$38.5K €33.1K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

27.08%

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

$26.6K €22.9K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

13.61%

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

$184 €158

$82.9 MX$1,433

121.68%

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

$24.06 €20.69

$22.22 MX$384

8.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.56 €21.99

$29.34 MX$507

-12.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.6 €50.4

$51.6 MX$893

13.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.59 €12.55

$18.32 MX$317

-20.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.29 €7.99

$5.07 MX$87.6

83.23%

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

$187 €161

$201 MX$3,473

-6.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,402 €1,206

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-73.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.5 €71.8

$36.92 MX$639

126.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.96 €24.05

$39.79 MX$688

-29.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.2

$78.5 MX$1,357

36.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 €89.4

$87.1 MX$1,506

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$481 €414

$973 MX$16.8K

-50.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 €298

$468 MX$8,090

-25.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$619 €532

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-62.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 €476

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-54.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,420 €2,942

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-13.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,463 €2,118

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-62.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$926 €797

$664 MX$11.5K

39.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

11.42

-61.91%

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

Last update for Kaštela: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $481 in Kaštela and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaštela pays 39% 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: $81.0 in Kaštela vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Kaštela and Playa del Carmen differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,395 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Kaštela pays 39% 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: $481 in Kaštela versus $973 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 43% less than in Kaštela. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $187 in Kaštela versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,395 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 8% less than in Kaštela. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.