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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $883 in Bitola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,337 in Bitola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,790 in Bitola.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 44% more expensive than Bitola, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Bitola 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.51 MKD 292

115.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$27.91 MKD 1,481

53.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.11 MKD 271

108.41%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.96 MKD 104

76.02%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.72 MKD 91.2

-12.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.29 MKD 68.2

-26.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.20 MKD 117

37.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.77 MKD 147

66.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.40 MKD 74.3

-1.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.68 MKD 35.86

172.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.71 MKD 90.6

-5.85%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.04 MKD 108

26.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.25 MKD 544

-19.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$7.28 MKD 386

14.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.75 MKD 730

-22.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.03 MKD 54.7

155.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.43 MKD 75.8

4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.30 MKD 69.1

47.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.63 MKD 86.7

28.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.91 MKD 48.37

104.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.34 MKD 71.3

68.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.58 MKD 30.88

82.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.52 MKD 27.85

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.00 MKD 159

38.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.94 MKD 315

74.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.94 MKD 49.99

82.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.88 MKD 99.7

38.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.54 MKD 28.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$16.73 MKD 888

61.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.12 MKD 59.3

179.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.50 MKD 26.48

402.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.74 MKD 357

-53.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.43 MKD 75.8

-11.19%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$32.0K MKD 1.7M

-5.08%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$34.0K MKD 1.8M

-30.70%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$145 MKD 7,695

-42.77%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.86 MKD 948

27.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$15.58 MKD 826

89.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$24.59 MKD 1,305

107.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$6.49 MKD 344

182.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.84 MKD 257

1.86%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$219 MKD 11.6K

-10.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,214 MKD 64.4K

334.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$76.2 MKD 4,042

-51.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$48.94 MKD 2,597

-18.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$75.6 MKD 4,013

5.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$113 MKD 6,013

-21.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$285 MKD 15.1K

235.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$198 MKD 10.5K

140.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$591 MKD 31.4K

178.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$316 MKD 16.7K

288.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,726 MKD 91.6K

127.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,188 MKD 63.0K

443.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$785 MKD 41.6K

-15.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.1

60.85%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bitola: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $285 in Bitola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bitola pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Bitola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $206 per month, with Bitola 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Bitola differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $883 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bitola earns 18% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $285 in Bitola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bitola – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $883 in Bitola versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bitola but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Bitola 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, Playa del Carmen and Bitola 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 Bitola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.