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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $928 in Kalasin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,513 in Kalasin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,099 in Kalasin.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 39% more expensive than Kalasin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kalasin 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$3.06 ฿99.5

290.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$27.15 ฿883

57.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$8.55 ฿278

23.86%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.06 ฿67.0

75.73%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$0.69 ฿22.29

113.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.35 ฿11.35

168.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.44 ฿79.2

26.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.66 ฿119

21.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.77 ฿57.5

-19.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$1.22 ฿39.79

54.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.31 ฿42.58

24.43%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.21 ฿72.0

19.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$18.24 ฿593

-54.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$3.07 ฿99.7

170.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$10.99 ฿357

1.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$3.25 ฿106

-18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.20 ฿39.04

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.89 ฿61.4

5.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.59 ฿51.7

30.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.49 ฿48.35

20.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$1.21 ฿39.24

80.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.97 ฿31.63

11.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.48 ฿15.57

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$4.40 ฿143

-9.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$18.66 ฿607

-45.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.75 ฿56.8

-1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.78 ฿90.3

-10.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.88 ฿28.75

-40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$1.10 ฿35.79

185.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$1.20 ฿39.11

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$6.19 ฿201

-50.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.29 ฿42.02

-1.55%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$27.2K ฿883.8K

13.60%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$27.7K ฿899.1K

-15.70%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$75.7 ฿2,461

8.35%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$13.86 ฿450

61.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$18.49 ฿601

60.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$49.18 ฿1,599

5.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$12.15 ฿395

53.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$7.18 ฿233

-30.78%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$301 ฿9,774

-34.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$9,605 ฿312.3K

-45.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$34.12 ฿1,109

6.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$35.11 ฿1,142

14.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$97.8 ฿3,180

-18.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$70.1 ฿2,279

26.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$419 ฿13.6K

129.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$288 ฿9,350

61.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$821 ฿26.7K

94.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$644 ฿20.9K

87.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,853 ฿60.2K

112.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,693 ฿55.1K

280.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.45

109.54%

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 Kalasin: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $419 in Kalasin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Kalasin. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $254, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kalasin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalasin is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,392 in Kalasin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $419 in Kalasin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $301 in Kalasin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kalasin – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $928 in Kalasin versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kalasin but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kalasin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kalasin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kalasin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kalasin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.