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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $497 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $680 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $864 in Kabul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 163% more expensive than in Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kabul 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$2.81 ؋181

325.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$7.70 ؋495

515.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$4.45 ؋286

164.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ؋144

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ؋119

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.11 ؋71.2

271.17%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.48 ؋30.89

191.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.13 ؋8.39

600.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.88 ؋56.5

90.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.23 ؋14.76

834.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.78 ؋115

-0.56%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.58 ؋102

78.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$4.23 ؋272

117.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$3.99 ؋256

131.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$6.55 ؋421

92.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$0.73 ؋46.78

304.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$0.90 ؋57.9

75.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$0.95 ؋61.1

133.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.54 ؋34.50

337.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.62 ؋40.17

220.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.51 ؋32.83

288.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.28 ؋17.78

342.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.36 ؋23.09

236.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.86 ؋119

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ؋47.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 ؋67.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.43 ؋156

89.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.13 ؋8.43

361.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$20.53 ؋1,320

44.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.11 ؋136

148.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.48 ؋30.93

660.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$2.66 ؋171

117.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.99 ؋63.4

55.56%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$8,551 ؋549.8K

166.65%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$33.8K ؋2.2M

-23.69%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$42.79 ؋2,751

111.90%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$12.63 ؋812

99.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$97.8 ؋6,289

-67.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$11.19 ؋720

514.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$3.97 ؋255

639.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$2.32 ؋149

109.48%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$19.89 ؋1,279

1034.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$1,043 ؋67.0K

302.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$10.49 ؋675

351.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$16.10 ؋1,035

169.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$57.5 ؋3,695

39.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$25.12 ؋1,615

263.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$124 ؋7,996

773.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$108 ؋6,957

277.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$216 ؋13.9K

813.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$116 ؋7,462

1004.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$688 ؋44.2K

488.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$355 ؋22.8K

1786.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$333 ؋21.4K

132.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kabul: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $124 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 132% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $8.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $101 per month, with Kabul 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 Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kabul differ by about 163% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $497 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $124 in Kabul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Playa del Carmen versus $19.89 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $497 in Kabul versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kabul but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kabul 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.

Expats usually find Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.