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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $822 in Gostivar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,201 in Gostivar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,580 in Gostivar.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 56% more expensive than Gostivar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Gostivar 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.31 MKD 280

124.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$23.13 MKD 1,219

84.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.13 MKD 271

106.43%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.44 MKD 75.9

151.39%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.12 MKD 58.9

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$1.16 MKD 61.1

-18.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.39 MKD 73.2

122.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.87 MKD 98.4

138.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.33 MKD 70.4

7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.69 MKD 36.25

172.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.47 MKD 77.6

10.88%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.03 MKD 107

30.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$6.76 MKD 356

21.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.73 MKD 302

44.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$13.63 MKD 718

-18.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.04 MKD 54.8

154.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.39 MKD 73.2

7.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.24 MKD 65.5

60.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.59 MKD 83.8

30.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.94 MKD 49.36

90.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.73 MKD 38.60

198.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.53 MKD 28.15

103.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.57 MKD 29.84

82.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.84 MKD 150

39.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$4.81 MKD 254

112.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.97 MKD 51.0

78.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.53 MKD 80.6

63.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.68 MKD 35.90

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$20.01 MKD 1,055

34.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.95 MKD 50.1

230.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.33 MKD 17.30

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.61 MKD 349

-53.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.50 MKD 79.0

-15.33%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$31.9K MKD 1.7M

-3.30%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$47.5K MKD 2.5M

-50.93%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$134 MKD 7,041

-38.58%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$11.12 MKD 586

101.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$15.29 MKD 806

93.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$26.10 MKD 1,376

98.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.81 MKD 254

3.33%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$222 MKD 11.7K

-10.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$1,184 MKD 62.4K

345.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$37.77 MKD 1,992

-3.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$37.22 MKD 1,963

7.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$76.2 MKD 4,020

4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$113 MKD 5,948

-21.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$283 MKD 14.9K

239.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$197 MKD 10.4K

135.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$569 MKD 30.0K

180.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$312 MKD 16.4K

288.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,627 MKD 85.8K

142.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,207 MKD 63.6K

434.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$903 MKD 47.6K

-20.23%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $283 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 25% 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 $23.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $181 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 56% 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 25% 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 $283 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $822 in Gostivar – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $822 in Gostivar versus $1,287 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 $822 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 56% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.