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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $977 in Karabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,483 in Karabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,989 in Karabuk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than in Karabuk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Karabuk 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$6.92 ₺326

73.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$731

$22.55 ₺1,063

85.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$188

$8.44 ₺398

27.37%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.1

$2.75 ₺130

27.27%

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

$1.45 MX$25.33

$1.23 ₺58.2

17.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.47

$0.79 ₺37.15

11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.6

$2.50 ₺118

18.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.9

$2.17 ₺102

107.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.04

$0.79 ₺37.14

81.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.13

$0.36 ₺17.16

411.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.42

$2.07 ₺97.8

-24.15%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.92

$3.45 ₺163

-27.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$7.55 ₺356

9.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.53 ₺308

29.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$12.84 ₺605

-16.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.62

$1.04 ₺49.09

150.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.15

$1.53 ₺72.2

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.31

$0.72 ₺34.04

172.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.62

$1.03 ₺48.71

102.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.37

$0.73 ₺34.59

153.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.90

$0.67 ₺31.40

223.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.04

$0.52 ₺24.66

98.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.78

$0.37 ₺17.40

189.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$2.12 ₺100

93.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$5.39 ₺254

88.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.29

$2.05 ₺96.6

-18.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.17

$2.47 ₺117

2.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.90

$0.62 ₺29.37

-17.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

$30.29 ₺1,428

-14.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$0.77 ₺36.34

319.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

$0.66 ₺31.08

265.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

$7.51 ₺354

-56.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.10

$1.19 ₺56.0

10.92%

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

$29.7K MX$519.2K

$35.0K ₺1.7M

-15.26%

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

$23.7K MX$413.7K

$38.8K ₺1.8M

-39.06%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$87.5 ₺4,123

-6.24%

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

$22.95 MX$401

$6.45 ₺304

255.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$527

$12.45 ₺587

141.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$909

$42.86 ₺2,020

21.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$324

$7.72 ₺364

140.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.0

$5.19 ₺245

-4.05%

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

$197 MX$3,452

$309 ₺14.6K

-36.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

$8,861 ₺417.7K

-39.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$622

$25.46 ₺1,200

39.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$36.23 ₺1,708

11.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,377

$50.2 ₺2,366

56.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$50.6 ₺2,385

75.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$508 ₺23.9K

86.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,288

$394 ₺18.6K

20.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.7K

$891 ₺42.0K

84.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$716 ₺33.8K

69.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.9K

$1,275 ₺60.1K

218.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.1K

$908 ₺42.8K

612.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,259 ₺59.3K

-48.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-71.45%

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 Karabuk: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $508 in Karabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karabuk pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Karabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $186 per month, with Karabuk 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 Karabuk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karabuk wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karabuk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 93% lower in Karabuk. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Karabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Karabuk – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $977 in Karabuk versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Karabuk but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Karabuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Karabuk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $977 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Karabuk hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Karabuk 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 Karabuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.