Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kathmandu: $488 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
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Kathmandu Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$488

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $488 in Kathmandu versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Kathmandu $488
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $783 in Kathmandu versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Kathmandu $783
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,077 in Kathmandu versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Kathmandu $1,077
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 59% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kathmandu 64% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.92 NPR 291

$10.92 MX$205

-82.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.72 NPR 3,146

$43.37 MX$815

-52.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.02 NPR 1,065

$11.78 MX$221

-40.41%

Cappuccino

$1.56 NPR 236

$3.81 MX$71.6

-59.06%

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

$0.51 NPR 78.2

$1.28 MX$24.10

-60.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 NPR 20.87

$0.78 MX$14.71

-82.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 NPR 472

$3.17 MX$59.5

-1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 NPR 504

$4.93 MX$92.7

-32.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 NPR 117

$1.41 MX$26.43

-45.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 NPR 93.9

$2.22 MX$41.66

-72.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 NPR 139

$1.42 MX$26.64

-35.21%

Eggs

$1.74 NPR 264

$2.52 MX$47.41

-30.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 NPR 1,141

$7.26 MX$137

3.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 NPR 471

$7.70 MX$145

-59.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.99 NPR 909

$12.69 MX$239

-52.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 NPR 316

$2.78 MX$52.3

-25.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 NPR 181

$1.37 MX$25.71

-13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 NPR 219

$2.55 MX$47.94

-43.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 NPR 89.3

$2.12 MX$39.90

-72.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 NPR 58.8

$1.94 MX$36.43

-79.90%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 NPR 81.8

$1.89 MX$35.44

-71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.9

$1.15 MX$21.55

-57.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.20

$1.18 MX$22.16

-81.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 NPR 373

$4.30 MX$80.7

-42.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.97 NPR 1,209

$9.95 MX$187

-19.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 NPR 349

$1.58 MX$29.76

45.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 NPR 458

$2.67 MX$50.2

13.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 NPR 26.26

$0.55 MX$10.40

-69.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.75 NPR 1,481

$26.62 MX$500

-63.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 NPR 272

$4.97 MX$93.4

-63.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 NPR 176

$3.33 MX$62.6

-65.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 NPR 505

$5.36 MX$101

-37.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 NPR 210

$1.44 MX$27.14

-3.47%

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

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

$20.7K MX$388.4K

72.79%

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

$35.9K NPR 5.4M

$23.5K MX$441.0K

52.90%

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

$31.31 NPR 4,753

$84.8 MX$1,594

-63.07%

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

$3.58 NPR 544

$23.41 MX$440

-84.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.30 NPR 1,411

$28.66 MX$539

-67.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.50 NPR 3,720

$57.1 MX$1,072

-57.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.97 NPR 1,059

$28.91 MX$543

-75.89%

Cinema Ticket

$2.94 NPR 446

$5.14 MX$96.6

-42.80%

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

$66.9 NPR 10.1K

$207 MX$3,882

-67.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,521 NPR 838.1K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

40.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.85 NPR 3,621

$43.35 MX$815

-44.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.77 NPR 4,064

$41.44 MX$779

-35.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 NPR 9,510

$74.2 MX$1,394

-15.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.36 NPR 4,458

$89.3 MX$1,677

-67.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 NPR 32.9K

$980 MX$18.4K

-77.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 NPR 15.8K

$381 MX$7,157

-72.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$432 NPR 65.5K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-74.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 NPR 30.4K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-81.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,336 NPR 354.6K

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-40.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,330 NPR 201.9K

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-78.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$268 NPR 40.6K

$735 MX$13.8K

-63.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.98

11.45

-12.84%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$147 30.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 73.1% $108

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$104 21.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 265% $276

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$80 16.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 154% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$64 13.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 74.1% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$44 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 210% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$30 6.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 122% $37

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$18 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 180% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $217 in Kathmandu and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $21 in Kathmandu vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $147 vs $255 per month, with Kathmandu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

05:08 5:08 AM

10 h 45 min behind Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 169 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to NPR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kathmandu Playa del Carmen 14,580 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Kathmandu
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

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

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Kathmandu. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $217 in Kathmandu versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kathmandu – a meal for two runs $21 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $488 per month in Kathmandu versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Kathmandu is about 59% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $488 in Kathmandu versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Kathmandu but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kathmandu 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.

Expats usually find Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.