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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $367 in Kannur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $568 in Kannur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $768 in Kannur.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 242% more expensive than in Kannur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kannur 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$1.19 ₹114

907.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$9.81 ₹945

325.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$4.18 ₹402

157.18%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$1.42 ₹137

146.48%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$0.40 ₹38.59

262.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.13 ₹12.23

576.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$1.78 ₹172

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$2.39 ₹230

88.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$0.63 ₹61.0

126.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$0.43 ₹40.98

327.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$0.58 ₹55.6

170.69%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$0.71 ₹68.2

253.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$5.13 ₹494

61.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$2.87 ₹276

193.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$2.64 ₹254

-1.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$0.68 ₹65.8

111.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$0.80 ₹76.8

145.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$0.45 ₹43.36

364.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$0.36 ₹34.83

413.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$0.40 ₹38.30

442.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.43 ₹41.00

139.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.30 ₹28.49

256.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$4.08 ₹393

0.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$8.13 ₹783

25.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$2.07 ₹200

-18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$2.26 ₹218

11.95%

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

$4.03 ₹388

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.24 ₹23.19

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$5.94 ₹572

338.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$1.14 ₹110

183.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$0.32 ₹31.22

653.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$1.64 ₹158

96.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.23 ₹119

7.32%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$9,725 ₹936.3K

205.36%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$14.9K ₹1.4M

59.09%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$27.26 ₹2,625

200.84%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$3.10 ₹299

640.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$7.28 ₹701

313.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$12.12 ₹1,167

328.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$10.25 ₹987

80.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$2.68 ₹258

85.82%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$58.6 ₹5,643

236.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$1,565 ₹150.6K

241.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$23.59 ₹2,271

50.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$19.80 ₹1,906

103.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$38.02 ₹3,661

107.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$28.10 ₹2,706

216.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$144 ₹13.8K

558.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$89.2 ₹8,588

431.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$202 ₹19.4K

713.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$175 ₹16.9K

591.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$723 ₹69.6K

461.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$1,786 ₹171.9K

262.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$259 ₹24.9K

152.89%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kannur: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $144 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 $106 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 242% 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.

Average pay runs 153% 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 $144 in Kannur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 134% 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 $367 in Kannur versus $1,256 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 $367 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 242% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.