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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $892 in Bitola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,346 in Bitola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,800 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 4% lower, Bitola 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.49 MKD 290

117.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$28.66 MKD 1,511

49.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.13 MKD 271

106.43%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.96 MKD 104

84.69%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.79 MKD 94.4

-17.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$1.23 MKD 65.0

-23.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.29 MKD 121

34.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.67 MKD 141

67.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.41 MKD 74.2

1.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.68 MKD 36.10

176.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.71 MKD 90.2

-4.68%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.05 MKD 108

28.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.40 MKD 548

-21.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$7.38 MKD 389

12.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$13.35 MKD 704

-16.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.02 MKD 53.9

159.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.38 MKD 72.6

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.27 MKD 66.9

56.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.55 MKD 81.9

34.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.97 MKD 51.3

84.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.34 MKD 70.6

62.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.57 MKD 30.22

89.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.54 MKD 28.22

92.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.04 MKD 160

30.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.03 MKD 318

69.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.92 MKD 48.78

88.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.79 MKD 94.5

39.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.54 MKD 28.70

-3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$17.24 MKD 909

56.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.10 MKD 57.9

185.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.52 MKD 27.44

361.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.67 MKD 352

-53.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.47 MKD 77.6

-13.61%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$31.8K MKD 1.7M

-2.82%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$33.2K MKD 1.8M

-29.78%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$148 MKD 7,782

-44.43%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$17.55 MKD 925

27.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$15.32 MKD 808

93.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$24.06 MKD 1,269

115.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$6.70 MKD 353

178.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.77 MKD 252

4.19%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$216 MKD 11.4K

-8.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$1,195 MKD 63.0K

341.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$76.2 MKD 4,015

-52.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$48.40 MKD 2,552

-17.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$76.5 MKD 4,032

4.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$112 MKD 5,903

-20.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$284 MKD 15.0K

239.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$198 MKD 10.4K

134.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$592 MKD 31.2K

169.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$313 MKD 16.5K

285.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,796 MKD 94.7K

119.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,203 MKD 63.4K

436.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$788 MKD 41.6K

-8.61%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Bitola: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $284 in Bitola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bitola pays 9% 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 $29.00 in Bitola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $205 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 ($1,287 vs $892 including rent). Bitola is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Bitola earns 9% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $284 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 $29.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $892 in Bitola versus $1,287 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.