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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $814 in Gostivar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,194 in Gostivar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,574 in Gostivar.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 59% more expensive than Gostivar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Gostivar 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$5.31 MKD 281

120.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$23.67 MKD 1,253

76.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$5.05 MKD 267

106.14%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$1.44 MKD 76.0

150.69%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.15 MKD 60.7

26.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$1.11 MKD 59.0

-12.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.34 MKD 70.9

117.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$1.92 MKD 102

140.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.34 MKD 71.0

6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.72 MKD 38.10

163.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.48 MKD 78.4

6.08%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$2.10 MKD 111

25.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$6.66 MKD 353

26.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$5.67 MKD 300

51.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$13.67 MKD 724

-19.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$1.07 MKD 56.7

152.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.45 MKD 76.8

4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.31 MKD 69.2

45.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$1.62 MKD 85.6

33.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.00 MKD 52.7

87.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$0.77 MKD 40.63

189.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.54 MKD 28.71

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.56 MKD 29.72

91.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.84 MKD 150

46.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$4.79 MKD 254

114.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$0.90 MKD 47.59

86.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.46 MKD 77.2

73.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.64 MKD 33.76

-14.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$20.45 MKD 1,083

28.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$0.97 MKD 51.4

229.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.35 MKD 18.77

602.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$6.40 MKD 339

-50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.47 MKD 78.0

-10.20%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$32.5K MKD 1.7M

-7.26%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$47.8K MKD 2.5M

-51.11%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$134 MKD 7,086

-39.20%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$11.16 MKD 591

100.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$15.21 MKD 806

97.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$25.88 MKD 1,371

99.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$4.76 MKD 252

8.40%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$221 MKD 11.7K

-8.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$1,219 MKD 64.6K

335.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$37.45 MKD 1,983

-4.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$37.58 MKD 1,990

7.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$74.1 MKD 3,927

6.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$112 MKD 5,951

-22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$280 MKD 14.8K

238.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$197 MKD 10.4K

143.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$558 MKD 29.5K

190.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$315 MKD 16.7K

288.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,658 MKD 87.8K

141.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,281 MKD 67.8K

405.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$880 MKD 46.6K

-23.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.5

75.69%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $280 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 31% 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 $24.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $182 per month, with Gostivar 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 Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gostivar wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gostivar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Gostivar earns 31% 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $814 in Gostivar – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $814 in Gostivar versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gostivar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $814 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gostivar hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.