Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Akureyri

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $3,060 in Akureyri, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Akureyri

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Akureyri

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Akureyri actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,060 in Akureyri, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Akureyri $3,060

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,123 in Akureyri, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Akureyri $4,123

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,186 in Akureyri, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Akureyri $5,186

Playa del Carmen is about 60% cheaper than Akureyri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while Akureyri is 128% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$24.64 ISK 3,004

-55.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$133 ISK 16.2K

-66.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$22.95 ISK 2,799

-48.06%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$4.93 ISK 602

-22.92%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$3.44 ISK 420

-61.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$3.12 ISK 381

-72.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$11.08 ISK 1,352

-71.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$9.43 ISK 1,150

-46.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$2.77 ISK 338

-47.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$2.30 ISK 280

1.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$3.18 ISK 388

-54.72%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$7.93 ISK 967

-68.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$15.52 ISK 1,892

-50.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$24.79 ISK 3,024

-68.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$2.91 ISK 355

-51.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$3.49 ISK 426

-26.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$5.89 ISK 719

-63.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$13.61 ISK 1,660

-67.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$2.52 ISK 307

-38.89%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$41.1K ISK 5.0M

-48.35%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$66.4K ISK 8.1M

-63.14%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$124 ISK 15.1K

-32.45%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$26.03 ISK 3,174

-7.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$162 ISK 19.7K

-81.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$86.8 ISK 10.6K

-25.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$15.18 ISK 1,852

-66.47%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$364 ISK 44.3K

-42.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$82.6 ISK 10.1K

-46.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$123 ISK 15.0K

-38.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$1,800 ISK 219.5K

-45.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$1,787 ISK 217.9K

-78.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$2,153 ISK 262.6K

-48.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$6,605 ISK 805.5K

-39.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$6,467 ISK 788.7K

-3.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.4

21.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Akureyri: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Akureyri

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Akureyri

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Akureyri

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Akureyri

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Akureyri

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Akureyri

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Akureyri

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,800 in Akureyri. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $133 in Akureyri. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $327 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇸 Akureyri

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

14:22 2:22 PM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

19,219

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.2 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Akureyri 6,970 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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Playa del Carmen
Akureyri

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

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

Yes – Akureyri is pricier by about 152%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,590 in Akureyri. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $133 in Akureyri. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Akureyri, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Akureyri at $3,060. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Akureyri it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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