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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $417 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $604 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $790 in Kabul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 201% more expensive than in Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kabul 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$2.66 ؋175

350.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$10.83 ؋712

285.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$4.24 ؋279

153.54%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 ؋153

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ؋110

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$1.01 ؋66.6

246.53%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$0.34 ؋22.04

326.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.15 ؋9.87

486.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$0.71 ؋46.73

101.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$0.17 ؋11.49

982.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$1.70 ؋112

-7.65%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$1.43 ؋94.1

75.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$3.76 ؋247

120.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.27 ؋215

157.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$5.91 ؋389

80.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$0.57 ؋37.42

357.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$0.74 ؋48.77

94.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$0.70 ؋45.92

180.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$0.47 ؋30.95

344.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$0.45 ؋29.46

311.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$0.43 ؋28.13

404.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.25 ؋16.46

312.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.36 ؋23.39

197.22%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.76 ؋116

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ؋61.9

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ؋101

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$2.55 ؋168

60.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.21 ؋13.80

142.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$9.94 ؋654

161.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$1.69 ؋111

91.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$0.52 ؋34.44

363.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$2.50 ؋164

29.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$0.98 ؋64.4

34.69%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$7,814 ؋513.6K

280.04%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$31.9K ؋2.1M

-25.83%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$50.4 ؋3,310

62.85%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$14.12 ؋928

62.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$90.5 ؋5,949

-66.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$9.10 ؋598

471.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$3.83 ؋252

383.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$2.20 ؋145

126.36%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$18.59 ؋1,222

962.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$1,453 ؋95.5K

267.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$9.12 ؋600

290.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$17.07 ؋1,122

136.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$32.63 ؋2,145

141.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$27.45 ؋1,805

223.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$85.4 ؋5,614

1008.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$57.7 ؋3,795

721.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$198 ؋13.0K

730.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$110 ؋7,199

1005.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$744 ؋48.9K

445.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$407 ؋26.8K

1488.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$330 ؋21.7K

98.08%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kabul: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $85.4 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 98% 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 $87.0 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 201% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $417 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $85.4 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 162% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $18.59 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $417 in Kabul versus $1,256 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 201% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.