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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $416 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $602 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $787 in Kabul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 212% more expensive than Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Kabul 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$2.53 ؋161

363.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$10.74 ؋682

287.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.37 ؋278

143.48%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ؋143

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ؋107

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.01 ؋64.0

248.51%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.36 ؋22.93

319.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.13 ؋8.10

646.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.71 ؋44.85

94.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.21 ؋13.14

800.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.70 ؋108

-3.53%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.42 ؋90.0

76.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.84 ؋244

117.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.35 ؋213

148.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.00 ؋381

78.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$0.53 ؋33.75

390.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.80 ؋50.8

82.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.75 ؋47.84

153.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.46 ؋29.36

352.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.48 ؋30.44

270.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.43 ؋26.99

409.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.23 ؋14.60

352.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.33 ؋20.72

227.27%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.97 ؋125

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ؋59.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ؋93.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.64 ؋168

54.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.21 ؋13.31

142.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$9.87 ؋627

168.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.76 ؋112

85.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.55 ؋35.21

352.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.59 ؋164

25.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.95 ؋60.1

37.89%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$7,763 ؋493.0K

290.04%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$32.1K ؋2.0M

-27.11%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$50.3 ؋3,196

64.69%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$13.77 ؋874

61.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$91.6 ؋5,819

-67.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$9.06 ؋575

469.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$3.88 ؋247

372.16%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$2.21 ؋140

129.41%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$18.18 ؋1,155

1004.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$1,414 ؋89.8K

268.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$9.57 ؋608

285.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$17.44 ؋1,108

128.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$32.79 ؋2,082

139.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$28.41 ؋1,804

206.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$85.0 ؋5,398

1044.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$58.5 ؋3,715

699.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$203 ؋12.9K

710.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$111 ؋7,037

1001.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$732 ؋46.5K

439.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$410 ؋26.1K

1483.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$351 ؋22.3K

89.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

18.5

-38.27%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kabul: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $85.0 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 89% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $11.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $88.0 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 212% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $416 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 89% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $85.0 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 168% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.18 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $416 in Kabul versus $1,297 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 212% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.