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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $880 in Bitola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,333 in Bitola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,787 in Bitola.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 43% more expensive than in 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

$11.72 MX$203

$5.56 MKD 297

110.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$28.29 MKD 1,512

48.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.14 MKD 275

104.47%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.91 MKD 102

87.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.76 MKD 94.0

-14.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.26 MKD 67.5

-26.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.23 MKD 119

32.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.74 MKD 146

60.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.35 MKD 72.0

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.68 MKD 36.18

176.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.76 MKD 94.1

-11.36%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.01 MKD 108

29.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.03 MKD 536

-17.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$7.39 MKD 395

12.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.74 MKD 734

-20.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.07 MKD 57.0

153.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.39 MKD 74.2

8.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.26 MKD 67.4

48.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.62 MKD 86.7

35.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.94 MKD 50.2

97.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.35 MKD 72.0

65.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.58 MKD 31.07

84.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.56 MKD 29.99

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.94 MKD 157

42.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.16 MKD 329

69.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.00 MKD 53.4

66.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.89 MKD 101

38.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.57 MKD 30.48

-5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$16.81 MKD 899

55.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.16 MKD 62.0

165.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.49 MKD 26.21

389.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.52 MKD 348

-51.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.48 MKD 79.0

-11.49%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$32.1K MKD 1.7M

-7.10%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$33.5K MKD 1.8M

-30.42%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$143 MKD 7,654

-43.25%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.64 MKD 943

27.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$15.37 MKD 822

95.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$24.06 MKD 1,286

119.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$6.73 MKD 360

173.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.77 MKD 255

3.14%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$221 MKD 11.8K

-9.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$1,221 MKD 65.2K

323.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$77.2 MKD 4,124

-53.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$47.66 MKD 2,547

-15.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$75.5 MKD 4,033

5.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$114 MKD 6,103

-24.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$282 MKD 15.1K

247.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$194 MKD 10.4K

142.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$597 MKD 31.9K

176.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$315 MKD 16.8K

282.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,698 MKD 90.7K

132.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,179 MKD 63.0K

460.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$762 MKD 40.7K

-11.20%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bitola: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $282 in Bitola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bitola pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Bitola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 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 43% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $880 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Bitola. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $282 in Bitola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $880 in Bitola versus $1,260 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 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.