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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $645 in Gjilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,024 in Gjilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,402 in Gjilan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 99% more expensive than Gjilan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Gjilan 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$4.39 €3.76

171.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$20.42 €17.48

109.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.36 €4.59

97.57%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.48 €1.26

144.59%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.12 €0.96

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.97 €0.83

-3.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.46 €1.25

111.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.41 €1.20

216.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.34 €1.15

6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.47 €0.41

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.41 €1.21

15.60%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.60 €1.37

65.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$6.29 €5.38

30.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.02 €4.29

65.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.54 €9.02

5.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.25 €1.07

112.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.57 €1.35

-4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.45 €1.24

37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.23 €1.05

69.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.77 €0.66

132.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.76 €0.65

186.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.67 €0.57

61.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.56 €0.48

85.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.42 €2.93

16.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.90 €5.05

72.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.96 €0.82

80.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.38 €1.18

81.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.59 €0.51

-11.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.34 €2.01

34.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.53 €0.46

352.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.95 €5.10

-48.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.48 €1.27

-14.19%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$23.5K €20.1K

31.44%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$25.3K €21.6K

-7.70%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$70.3 €60.2

16.69%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$10.69 €9.15

110.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$19.55 €16.74

51.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$17.66 €15.12

193.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.65 €3.98

6.88%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$174 €149

13.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,901 €2,483

81.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$39.04 €33.42

-6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$30.97 €26.51

29.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$55.4 €47.42

44.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$85.0 €72.7

4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$228 €195

322.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$172 €147

170.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$465 €398

243.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$345 €295

250.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$952 €815

314.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$746 €638

764.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$464 €397

55.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

185.50%

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 Gjilan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $228 in Gjilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 55% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $20.00 in Gjilan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $166 per month, with Gjilan 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 Gjilan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Gjilan differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $645 including rent). Gjilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 55% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $228 in Gjilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $645 in Gjilan – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $645 in Gjilan versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gjilan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gjilan 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 Gjilan 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 Gjilan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.