Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Keflavik and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,992 in Keflavik, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Keflavik
Learn more

Keflavik Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Keflavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$2,992

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,992 in Keflavik versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Keflavik $2,992
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,538 in Keflavik versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Keflavik $4,538
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,084 in Keflavik versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Keflavik $6,084
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Keflavik is roughly 147% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Keflavik is 122% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.71 ISK 2,997

$10.76 MX$199

129.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$124 ISK 15.0K

$43.03 MX$795

187.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.40 ISK 2,475

$11.79 MX$218

73.03%

Cappuccino

$4.06 ISK 493

$3.87 MX$71.4

4.91%

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

$3.18 ISK 386

$1.37 MX$25.29

132.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ISK 387

$0.84 MX$15.44

279.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.00 ISK 970

$3.10 MX$57.3

158.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.34 ISK 1,012

$5.07 MX$93.6

64.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.44 MX$26.55

45.83%

White Bread (500g)

$4.23 ISK 513

$2.23 MX$41.23

89.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ISK 307

$1.47 MX$27.17

72.11%

Eggs

$6.32 ISK 767

$2.53 MX$46.71

149.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 ISK 2,311

$7.30 MX$135

161.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.38 ISK 2,958

$7.86 MX$145

210.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.25 ISK 5,003

$12.79 MX$236

222.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 ISK 301

$2.90 MX$53.6

-14.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 ISK 304

$1.44 MX$26.53

74.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 ISK 296

$2.55 MX$47.07

-4.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 ISK 486

$2.06 MX$38.03

94.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 ISK 388

$2.00 MX$36.97

60.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 ISK 206

$2.01 MX$37.07

-15.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.84 ISK 465

$1.19 MX$22.02

222.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ISK 215

$1.26 MX$23.23

41.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.97 ISK 1,695

$4.40 MX$81.4

217.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.58 ISK 2,012

$9.59 MX$177

72.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.61 ISK 438

$1.59 MX$29.41

127.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 ISK 356

$2.81 MX$51.9

4.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.68 ISK 446

$0.57 MX$10.47

545.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.6 ISK 9,407

$27.82 MX$514

178.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.63 ISK 804

$4.98 MX$92.1

33.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.58 ISK 312

$3.50 MX$64.6

-26.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$80.2 ISK 9,727

$5.40 MX$99.8

1385.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 ISK 255

$1.47 MX$27.08

42.86%

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

$50.1K ISK 6.1M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

138.94%

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

$54.7K ISK 6.6M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

128.73%

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

$94.8 ISK 11.5K

$84.2 MX$1,556

12.58%

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

$33.29 ISK 4,038

$23.99 MX$443

38.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

$29.02 MX$536

192.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.5 ISK 9,526

$63.0 MX$1,164

24.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$19.48 ISK 2,363

$4.94 MX$91.3

294.33%

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

$407 ISK 49.3K

$204 MX$3,763

99.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K ISK 3.1M

$3,941 MX$72.8K

552.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$152 ISK 18.4K

$43.60 MX$806

248.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 ISK 7,934

$43.12 MX$797

51.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$182 ISK 22.0K

$75.8 MX$1,400

139.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 ISK 23.1K

$88.6 MX$1,637

115.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 ISK 230.0K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

88.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 ISK 161.2K

$374 MX$6,911

255.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,516 ISK 305.1K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

47.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 ISK 250.0K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

86.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,752 ISK 455.0K

$754 MX$13.9K

397.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.81

11.45

-23.06%

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

Last update for Keflavik: October 12, 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

Keflavik

$1.3K 44.4%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 71.9% $955

Groceries & Markets

Keflavik

$566 18.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 54.3% $307

Eating Out

Keflavik

$390 13%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 48.1% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Keflavik

$265 8.9%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 57.4% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Keflavik

$213 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 35.6% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Keflavik

$118 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 38% $45

Getting Around

Keflavik

$112 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 53% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,896 in Keflavik and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keflavik pays 397% 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: $124 in Keflavik vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $566 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇸 Keflavik

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:20 12:20 AM

19:20 7:20 PM

5 h behind Keflavik

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Keflavik Playa del Carmen 6,720 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Keflavik
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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 147% lower than in Keflavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 397% higher in Keflavik, 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: $1,896 in Keflavik 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 179% less than in Keflavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $407 in Keflavik 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 $2,992 in Keflavik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Keflavik. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Keflavik 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 147% less than in Keflavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.