Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kozhikode and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kozhikode: $429 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Kozhikode
Learn more

Kozhikode Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Kozhikode

🇮🇳 India

$429

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $429 per month in Kozhikode vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kozhikode $429
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $666 per month in Kozhikode vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kozhikode $666
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $903 per month in Kozhikode vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kozhikode $903
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Kozhikode is about 64% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Kozhikode and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Kozhikode 69% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.53 ₹146

$10.92 MX$205

-85.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$9.48 ₹900

$43.37 MX$815

-78.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.20 ₹304

$11.78 MX$221

-72.84%

Cappuccino

$1.37 ₹130

$3.81 MX$71.6

-64.04%

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

$0.37 ₹34.69

$1.28 MX$24.10

-71.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.12 ₹10.94

$0.78 MX$14.71

-84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.44 ₹136

$3.17 MX$59.5

-54.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ₹179

$4.93 MX$92.7

-61.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.61 ₹57.6

$1.41 MX$26.43

-56.74%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₹42.87

$2.22 MX$41.66

-79.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.54 ₹51.7

$1.42 MX$26.64

-61.97%

Eggs

$0.80 ₹76.3

$2.52 MX$47.41

-68.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.63 ₹344

$7.26 MX$137

-50.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 ₹339

$7.70 MX$145

-53.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 ₹195

$2.78 MX$52.3

-26.26%

Banana (1kg)

$0.60 ₹56.9

$1.37 MX$25.71

-56.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 ₹83.5

$2.55 MX$47.94

-65.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 ₹47.61

$2.12 MX$39.90

-76.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹32.55

$1.94 MX$36.43

-82.47%

Onion (1kg)

$0.39 ₹36.55

$1.89 MX$35.44

-79.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 ₹60.9

$1.15 MX$21.55

-44.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 ₹23.70

$1.18 MX$22.16

-78.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 ₹473

$4.30 MX$80.7

15.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.24 ₹497

$9.95 MX$187

-47.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₹189

$1.58 MX$29.76

25.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 ₹200

$2.67 MX$50.2

-20.97%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.52 ₹334

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 ₹9.02

$0.55 MX$10.40

-83.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.82 ₹552

$26.62 MX$500

-78.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 ₹76.8

$4.97 MX$93.4

-83.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 ₹46.79

$3.33 MX$62.6

-85.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.15 ₹204

$5.36 MX$101

-59.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹103

$1.44 MX$27.14

-24.31%

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

$11.0K ₹1.0M

$20.7K MX$388.4K

-46.63%

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

$19.7K ₹1.9M

$23.5K MX$441.0K

-15.97%

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

$54.8 ₹5,203

$84.8 MX$1,594

-35.37%

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

$3.01 ₹285

$23.41 MX$440

-87.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.18 ₹587

$28.66 MX$539

-78.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.42 ₹1,844

$57.1 MX$1,072

-65.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.28 ₹596

$28.91 MX$543

-78.28%

Cinema Ticket

$2.71 ₹257

$5.14 MX$96.6

-47.28%

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

$44.63 ₹4,237

$207 MX$3,882

-78.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$509 ₹48.3K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

-87.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.91 ₹2,650

$43.35 MX$815

-35.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.46 ₹2,607

$41.44 MX$779

-33.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.2 ₹6,857

$74.2 MX$1,394

-2.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.38 ₹3,454

$89.3 MX$1,677

-59.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$156 ₹14.8K

$980 MX$18.4K

-84.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$109 ₹10.3K

$381 MX$7,157

-71.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$407 ₹38.7K

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-76.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 ₹22.9K

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-77.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$875 ₹83.1K

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-77.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$624 ₹59.3K

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-89.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$290 ₹27.5K

$735 MX$13.8K

-60.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.37

11.45

-18.17%

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

Last update for Kozhikode: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kozhikode

$109 25.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 250% $272

Groceries & Markets

Kozhikode

$97 22.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 164% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Kozhikode

$74 17.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 51.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kozhikode

$64 14.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 114% $73

Eating Out

Kozhikode

$51 12%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 295% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Kozhikode

$25 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 171% $42

Getting Around

Kozhikode

$9.5 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 433% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $156 in Kozhikode versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 2.5 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $9 in Kozhikode versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $97 vs $255 – making Kozhikode the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Kozhikode

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:38 5:38 AM

19:08 7:08 PM

10 h 30 min behind Kozhikode

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

550,440

149,923

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kozhikode Playa del Carmen 16,010 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Kozhikode
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $429 in Kozhikode, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Kozhikode comes out roughly 64% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $643 per month in Kozhikode and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kozhikode, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $156 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Public transport costs about 78% less in Kozhikode. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $45 per month in Kozhikode and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kozhikode, where all-in costs run around $429, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Kozhikode it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kozhikode – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Kozhikode. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.