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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $368 in Kannur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $573 in Kannur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $777 in Kannur.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 252% more expensive than Kannur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Kannur 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.19 ₹114

885.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$9.65 ₹919

331.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.15 ₹395

156.39%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.43 ₹136

146.15%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.40 ₹38.55

277.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.13 ₹12.09

646.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.75 ₹167

68.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.27 ₹216

96.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.62 ₹59.4

122.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.46 ₹43.96

310.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.53 ₹50.8

209.43%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$0.74 ₹70.5

239.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.19 ₹495

60.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$2.80 ₹266

197.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.56 ₹243

1.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.69 ₹65.7

111.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.80 ₹76.1

137.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.45 ₹43.13

362.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.37 ₹35.21

381.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.42 ₹40.19

421.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.42 ₹40.21

147.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.32 ₹30.89

237.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.09 ₹390

-0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.43 ₹803

22.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$2.03 ₹194

-15.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.36 ₹225

9.32%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.97 ₹378

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.22 ₹20.89

131.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$5.93 ₹565

346.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.13 ₹108

188.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.33 ₹31.37

654.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$1.68 ₹160

93.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.18 ₹113

11.02%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$9,786 ₹932.2K

209.41%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$14.8K ₹1.4M

57.99%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$26.85 ₹2,558

208.64%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$3.24 ₹309

585.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$7.32 ₹697

300.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$11.97 ₹1,140

331.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$10.31 ₹982

77.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$2.63 ₹251

92.78%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$58.2 ₹5,543

245.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$1,552 ₹147.8K

235.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$22.90 ₹2,181

61.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$19.34 ₹1,842

105.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$38.62 ₹3,679

103.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$27.64 ₹2,632

215.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$146 ₹13.9K

565.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$91.1 ₹8,676

413.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$201 ₹19.1K

718.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$174 ₹16.6K

600.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$737 ₹70.2K

435.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,788 ₹170.3K

263.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$263 ₹25.0K

152.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.36

22.01%

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 Kannur: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $146 in Kannur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 153% 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 $10.00 in Kannur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $107 per month, with Kannur 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 Kannur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kannur wins on cost – living expenses run 252% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kannur the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Playa del Carmen pays 153% 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 $146 in Kannur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 132% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kannur – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $368 in Kannur versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kannur but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kannur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kannur delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $368 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kannur hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kannur 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 Kannur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 252% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.