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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $909 in Kalasin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,499 in Kalasin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,090 in Kalasin.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 40% more expensive than Kalasin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kalasin 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.01 ฿98.1

294.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$27.51 ฿896

55.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.68 ฿283

22.70%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.00 ฿65.3

72.50%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.71 ฿23.13

111.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.37 ฿12.20

156.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.48 ฿80.6

22.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.71 ฿121

24.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.75 ฿57.1

-21.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.17 ฿37.99

58.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.27 ฿41.35

26.77%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.22 ฿72.4

16.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$18.36 ฿598

-55.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$2.96 ฿96.5

182.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.91 ฿355

-2.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.12 ฿102

-15.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.22 ฿39.65

22.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.97 ฿64.1

-2.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.54 ฿50.2

35.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.53 ฿49.87

21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.22 ฿39.63

85.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.97 ฿31.75

9.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.48 ฿15.78

127.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.50 ฿146

-7.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$12.94 ฿421

-19.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.81 ฿59.1

-4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.78 ฿90.6

-6.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.90 ฿29.43

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.11 ฿36.01

181.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.15 ฿37.57

118.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.07 ฿198

-48.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.28 ฿41.57

-0.78%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$27.6K ฿898.2K

10.14%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.8K ฿905.1K

-15.20%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$77.3 ฿2,518

7.37%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$13.58 ฿442

67.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$18.75 ฿611

57.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$50.1 ฿1,631

1.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$12.31 ฿401

48.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.10 ฿231

-30.56%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$301 ฿9,789

-34.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$9,474 ฿308.6K

-44.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$33.37 ฿1,087

10.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$34.43 ฿1,121

15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$100 ฿3,266

-20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$70.0 ฿2,281

27.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$422 ฿13.7K

126.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$282 ฿9,189

69.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$814 ฿26.5K

102.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$647 ฿21.1K

89.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,214 ฿72.1K

76.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,550 ฿50.5K

316.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kalasin: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $422 in Kalasin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $28.00 in Kalasin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $242 per month, with Kalasin 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 Kalasin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalasin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,363 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $422 in Kalasin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 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 $28.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $909 in Kalasin versus $1,271 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 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.