Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gevgelija

For one person, living is cheaper in Gevgelija: $791 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Gevgelija
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Gevgelija Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Gevgelija

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Gevgelija actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $791 in Gevgelija, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Gevgelija $791

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,211 in Gevgelija, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Gevgelija $1,211

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,631 in Gevgelija, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Gevgelija $1,631

Playa del Carmen costs about 52% more than Gevgelija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Gevgelija are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Gevgelija 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$7.55 MKD 415

44.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$31.69 MKD 1,743

36.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$5.55 MKD 305

112.25%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.38 MKD 75.8

176.09%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.96 MKD 53.0

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.71 MKD 38.88

9.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.19 MKD 65.3

166.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.14 MKD 172

57.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.24 MKD 68.3

13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.64 MKD 35.43

246.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$0.70 MKD 38.70

102.86%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.12 MKD 117

18.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$7.47 MKD 411

-2.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$5.38 MKD 296

43.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$11.12 MKD 612

14.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.12 MKD 61.4

148.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.07 MKD 59.1

28.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.38 MKD 75.8

84.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.78 MKD 97.9

19.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.53 MKD 29.01

266.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.37 MKD 20.45

410.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.38 MKD 20.78

202.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.52 MKD 28.82

126.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$2.30 MKD 127

86.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$3.72 MKD 205

167.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.07 MKD 58.7

47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.43 MKD 78.6

86.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.83 MKD 45.79

-33.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$26.79 MKD 1,473

-0.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$1.07 MKD 58.8

364.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.62 MKD 33.97

437.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$5.44 MKD 299

-1.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.52 MKD 83.4

-5.26%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

-39.68%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$26.3K MKD 1.4M

-10.87%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$92.8 MKD 5,102

-8.60%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$18.27 MKD 1,005

28.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$19.00 MKD 1,045

50.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$23.36 MKD 1,285

144.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$17.13 MKD 942

68.77%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$5.43 MKD 299

-5.34%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$109 MKD 6,022

88.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$5,585 MKD 307.2K

-29.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$83.2 MKD 4,577

-47.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$36.81 MKD 2,024

12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$54.7 MKD 3,010

35.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$112 MKD 6,155

-20.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$258 MKD 14.2K

279.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$186 MKD 10.2K

104.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$539 MKD 29.7K

216.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$261 MKD 14.3K

312.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,428 MKD 78.6K

176.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,284 MKD 70.6K

379.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$576 MKD 31.7K

27.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.23

170.69%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gevgelija: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Gevgelija

$186 23.5% 51.1% $195

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Gevgelija

$165 20.9% 35.2% $90

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Gevgelija

$112 14.2% 44.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Gevgelija

$130 16.4% 5% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Gevgelija

$129 16.3% 15.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Gevgelija

$34 4.3% 49.2% $33

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Gevgelija

$34 4.3% 32.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $258 in Gevgelija. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 28% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $32 in Gevgelija. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $165 – making Gevgelija the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇰 Gevgelija

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

03:57 3:57 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

20,664

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Gevgelija 10,040 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Gevgelija

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 Gevgelija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 52% more than Gevgelija, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,187 in Gevgelija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gevgelija, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $258 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $32 in Gevgelija. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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

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