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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,665 in Koror versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,691 in Koror versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,718 in Koror versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Koror is roughly 31% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Koror is 24% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.82 $11.82

$11.87 MX$204

-0.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 $75.9

$42.90 MX$736

76.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.20 $10.20

$10.65 MX$183

-4.23%

Cappuccino

$4.02 $4.02

$3.45 MX$59.2

16.52%

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

$1.35 $1.35

$1.50 MX$25.81

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 $1.10

$0.95 MX$16.28

15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.03 MX$51.9

-49.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$4.61 MX$79.1

-52.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.38 MX$23.61

93.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.85 MX$31.70

90.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.24 $0.24

$1.61 MX$27.65

-85.09%

Eggs

$6.10 $6.10

$2.59 MX$44.51

135.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.26 MX$142

22.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.13 $14.13

$8.37 MX$144

68.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.39 $19.39

$10.66 MX$183

81.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.63 MX$45.12

101.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.49 MX$25.53

45.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.92 MX$32.94

183.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$16.48 $16.48

$2.09 MX$35.81

688.52%

Potato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.86 MX$31.88

145.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.26 MX$38.81

45.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.06 MX$18.23

93.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.09 MX$18.67

55.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.34 $11.34

$4.15 MX$71.2

173.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.88 $22.88

$10.39 MX$178

120.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.72 MX$29.59

102.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.61 MX$44.85

25.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.13 MX$53.7

-21.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.15 MX$54.1

91.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.27 MX$21.88

37.01%

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

$17.2K $17.2K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-43.26%

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

$14.8K $14.8K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-37.15%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

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

$51.6 $51.6

$22.71 MX$390

127.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$131 $131

$29.46 MX$506

343.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 $54.2

$51.0 MX$875

6.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

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

$201 $201

$197 MX$3,386

1.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,893 $1,893

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-64.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 $62.7

$36.90 MX$633

69.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.7 $52.7

$39.89 MX$685

32.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 $147

$80.0 MX$1,373

83.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$192 $192

$89.5 MX$1,536

114.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$752 $752

$956 MX$16.4K

-21.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$544 $544

$477 MX$8,189

14.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,770 $1,770

$1,646 MX$28.3K

7.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$971 $971

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-20.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$777 $777

$667 MX$11.4K

16.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

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

Last update for Koror: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $752 in Koror and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Koror pays 17% 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: $76.0 in Koror vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $508 vs $250 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

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

Koror and Playa del Carmen differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,665 vs $1,271 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Koror pays 17% 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: $752 in Koror versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Koror. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,665 per month in Koror versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,665 in Koror, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Koror. 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, Koror 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 31% less than in Koror. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.