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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $675 in Karabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,061 in Karabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,446 in Karabuk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 87% more expensive than in Karabuk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Karabuk 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$8.18 ₺399

41.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$25.06 ₺1,222

87.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.79 ₺380

52.50%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.61 ₺176

10.25%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.13 ₺55.3

26.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.35 ₺16.95

134.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.61 ₺78.6

98.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.86 ₺139

137.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$0.93 ₺45.17

80.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.32 ₺15.71

587.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$2.66 ₺130

-35.71%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.74 ₺134

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.15 ₺300

55.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.00 ₺195

125.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.19 ₺497

25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.41 ₺68.9

104.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.79 ₺87.1

-16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$0.81 ₺39.41

165.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$0.79 ₺38.35

186.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.50 ₺24.38

296.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.41 ₺19.94

385.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.43 ₺20.80

186.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.30 ₺14.63

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$1.82 ₺88.5

150.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$5.16 ₺252

100.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.70 ₺82.8

-4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.03 ₺99.0

41.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.64 ₺31.15

-6.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.64 ₺31.18

742.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.97 ₺47.37

284.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.12 ₺54.7

37.50%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$42.3K ₺2.1M

-46.69%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$39.3K ₺1.9M

-33.76%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$79.0 ₺3,850

15.71%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$5.12 ₺250

392.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$10.37 ₺506

201.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$17.38 ₺847

286.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$6.29 ₺307

362.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$4.13 ₺201

17.68%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$464 ₺22.6K

-51.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$6,206 ₺302.6K

-31.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$20.83 ₺1,016

126.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$28.91 ₺1,410

53.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$40.64 ₺1,982

97.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$41.87 ₺2,042

121.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$254 ₺12.4K

318.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$175 ₺8,516

123.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$466 ₺22.7K

361.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$333 ₺16.2K

282.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,624 ₺79.2K

146.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$611 ₺29.8K

963.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,222 ₺59.6K

-37.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-72.07%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Karabuk: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $254 in Karabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karabuk pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $25.00 in Karabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $159 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 87% 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 61% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $254 in Karabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $675 in Karabuk – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $675 in Karabuk versus $1,266 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 $675 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 87% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.