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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $938 in Kalasin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,506 in Kalasin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,073 in Kalasin.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 34% more expensive than in Kalasin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kalasin 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$3.09 ฿103

279.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$26.99 ฿903

55.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$8.63 ฿289

21.78%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.99 ฿66.6

80.40%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.73 ฿24.50

106.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.35 ฿11.68

162.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.43 ฿81.4

21.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.71 ฿124

18.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.68 ฿56.2

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.21 ฿40.58

55.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.27 ฿42.35

22.83%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.15 ฿71.9

21.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$18.38 ฿615

-54.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$3.00 ฿100

178.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$10.89 ฿364

-0.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$3.22 ฿108

-15.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.25 ฿41.81

20.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.92 ฿64.1

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$1.58 ฿52.9

38.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.52 ฿50.8

22.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.25 ฿41.98

78.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.02 ฿34.20

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.48 ฿16.12

127.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$4.29 ฿143

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$17.61 ฿589

-40.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.76 ฿58.8

-5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.74 ฿91.8

-4.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.90 ฿30.13

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.09 ฿36.54

182.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$1.20 ฿40.03

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$6.30 ฿211

-50.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.24 ฿41.32

5.65%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$27.6K ฿924.7K

7.82%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$27.7K ฿925.6K

-15.72%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$76.6 ฿2,564

6.05%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$13.92 ฿466

62.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$18.84 ฿630

59.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$48.77 ฿1,631

8.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$12.02 ฿402

53.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$7.14 ฿239

-31.09%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$296 ฿9,906

-32.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$9,703 ฿324.6K

-46.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$33.46 ฿1,119

7.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$35.19 ฿1,177

14.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$101 ฿3,383

-21.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$70.8 ฿2,367

22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$416 ฿13.9K

134.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$284 ฿9,491

65.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$823 ฿27.5K

100.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$659 ฿22.1K

82.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$2,202 ฿73.7K

79.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$1,664 ฿55.7K

297.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kalasin: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $416 in Kalasin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $27.00 in Kalasin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $251 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 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,407 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $416 in Kalasin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $296 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $938 in Kalasin versus $1,260 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 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.