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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $556 in Narok versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $923 in Narok versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,289 in Narok versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Narok costs roughly 56% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Narok 59% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 KES 713

$11.87 MX$204

-53.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.33 KES 5,099

$42.90 MX$736

-8.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 KES 907

$10.65 MX$183

-34.27%

Cappuccino

$2.37 KES 307

$3.45 MX$59.2

-31.30%

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

$0.75 KES 97.0

$1.50 MX$25.81

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 KES 68.7

$0.95 MX$16.28

-44.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 KES 298

$3.03 MX$51.9

-24.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 KES 369

$4.61 MX$79.1

-38.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 KES 122

$1.38 MX$23.61

-31.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 KES 69.7

$1.85 MX$31.70

-70.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 KES 205

$1.61 MX$27.65

-1.86%

Eggs

$1.63 KES 212

$2.59 MX$44.51

-37.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 KES 1,523

$8.26 MX$142

42.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 KES 878

$8.37 MX$144

-19.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.67 KES 735

$10.66 MX$183

-46.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 KES 391

$2.63 MX$45.12

14.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 KES 139

$1.49 MX$25.53

-28.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 KES 281

$1.92 MX$32.94

13.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.01 KES 132

$2.09 MX$35.81

-51.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 KES 134

$1.86 MX$31.88

-44.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 KES 151

$2.26 MX$38.81

-48.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 89.4

$1.06 MX$18.23

-34.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 KES 96.4

$1.09 MX$18.67

-32.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.17 KES 411

$4.15 MX$71.2

-23.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 KES 880

$10.39 MX$178

-34.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 KES 283

$1.72 MX$29.59

26.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 KES 362

$2.61 MX$44.85

6.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 KES 206

$0.54 MX$9.30

194.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.99 KES 6,093

$26.94 MX$462

74.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

$3.13 MX$53.7

-49.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 KES 196

$2.51 MX$43.09

-39.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 KES 377

$3.15 MX$54.1

-7.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 KES 182

$1.27 MX$21.88

10.24%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-27.78%

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

$19.8K KES 2.6M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-16.05%

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

$33.95 KES 4,402

$83.0 MX$1,425

-59.10%

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

$16.70 KES 2,166

$22.71 MX$390

-26.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.72 KES 5,020

$29.46 MX$506

31.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 KES 807

$4.93 MX$84.5

26.37%

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

$207 KES 26.8K

$197 MX$3,386

4.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,192 KES 1.1M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

55.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.26 KES 2,368

$36.90 MX$633

-50.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.26 KES 3,146

$39.89 MX$685

-39.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.1 KES 8,312

$80.0 MX$1,373

-19.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 KES 7,293

$89.5 MX$1,536

-37.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,556 KES 201.8K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-60.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,175 KES 152.4K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-81.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$309 KES 40.0K

$667 MX$11.4K

-53.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

11.42

29.95%

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

Last update for Narok: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 116% 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: $39.00 in Narok vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $250 per month, with Narok 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

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

Narok and Playa del Carmen differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($556 vs $1,271 including rent). Narok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 116% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $207 in Narok versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $556 in Narok versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Narok but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Narok 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 Narok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.