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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $982 in Karabuk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,505 in Karabuk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,029 in Karabuk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 32% more expensive than Karabuk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Karabuk 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.80 ₺313

72.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$22.35 ₺1,027

86.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.38 ₺385

26.97%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.86 ₺131

23.08%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.29 ₺59.3

17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.79 ₺36.47

22.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.58 ₺119

14.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.19 ₺101

103.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.74 ₺33.84

86.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.36 ₺16.67

425.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.11 ₺96.8

-22.27%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.42 ₺157

-26.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.79 ₺358

7.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.43 ₺296

29.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$12.64 ₺581

-15.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$0.99 ₺45.69

162.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.50 ₺68.9

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.72 ₺33.31

163.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.99 ₺45.60

110.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.74 ₺34.13

140.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.72 ₺33.09

204.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.50 ₺22.93

108.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.39 ₺18.00

176.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.13 ₺98.0

91.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$5.57 ₺256

85.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.98 ₺90.9

-13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.59 ₺119

-0.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.66 ₺30.44

-22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$30.51 ₺1,402

-13.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.78 ₺35.88

317.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.62 ₺28.29

301.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$7.85 ₺361

-58.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.17 ₺53.8

11.97%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$35.8K ₺1.6M

-15.35%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$38.7K ₺1.8M

-39.42%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$87.8 ₺4,034

-5.62%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$6.48 ₺298

242.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$12.93 ₺594

126.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$43.48 ₺1,998

18.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$7.64 ₺351

139.79%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$4.97 ₺228

2.01%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$311 ₺14.3K

-35.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$8,770 ₺403.0K

-40.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$25.08 ₺1,152

47.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$35.01 ₺1,609

13.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$51.6 ₺2,369

52.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$50.2 ₺2,304

73.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$503 ₺23.1K

93.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$400 ₺18.4K

16.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$902 ₺41.5K

81.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$722 ₺33.2K

69.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,282 ₺58.9K

207.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$928 ₺42.6K

600.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,290 ₺59.3K

-48.53%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Karabuk: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $503 in Karabuk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karabuk pays 94% 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 $22.00 in Karabuk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $185 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 32% 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, Karabuk earns 94% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $503 in Karabuk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% 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 $22.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $982 in Karabuk versus $1,297 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 $982 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 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.