Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Karlovy Vary Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Karlovy Vary

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,357 in Karlovy Vary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,239 in Karlovy Vary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,121 in Karlovy Vary.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 7% less than in Karlovy Vary, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Karlovy Vary is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.30 Kč 176

44.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$43.72 Kč 926

-4.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$8.96 Kč 190

19.98%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.89 Kč 61.2

21.11%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.89 Kč 40.06

-23.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.24 Kč 26.18

-29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.11 Kč 44.72

39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.02 Kč 42.84

123.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.13 Kč 23.95

26.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.49 Kč 31.65

23.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.18 Kč 46.11

-27.98%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.79 Kč 59.1

-10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$12.17 Kč 258

-31.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$6.91 Kč 146

22.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.10 Kč 278

-18.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.73 Kč 36.68

50.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.70 Kč 36.07

-15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.08 Kč 44.17

-5.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$3.43 Kč 72.6

-39.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.32 Kč 28.02

40.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.20 Kč 25.42

80.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.24 Kč 26.35

-16.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.72 Kč 15.20

48.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$7.08 Kč 150

-42.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$7.09 Kč 150

43.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.87 Kč 18.41

93.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.88 Kč 39.81

34.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$2.29 Kč 48.51

-77.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$25.52 Kč 541

2.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.73 Kč 57.9

18.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.37 Kč 29.12

75.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$15.68 Kč 332

-79.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.62 Kč 34.40

-18.52%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$27.9K Kč 592.2K

6.25%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$24.4K Kč 516.2K

-2.87%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$251 Kč 5,328

-67.39%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$25.78 Kč 546

-10.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$20.79 Kč 441

44.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$59.3 Kč 1,256

-12.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$21.38 Kč 453

-13.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$6.91 Kč 146

-27.93%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$186 Kč 3,942

6.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$2,752 Kč 58.3K

93.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$85.0 Kč 1,800

-58.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$40.85 Kč 866

-1.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$97.1 Kč 2,057

-18.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$112 Kč 2,365

-20.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$720 Kč 15.3K

31.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$401 Kč 8,493

18.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,424 Kč 30.2K

15.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$1,149 Kč 24.4K

5.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$7,039 Kč 149.2K

-42.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$5,125 Kč 108.6K

26.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,429 Kč 30.3K

-54.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.56

105.40%

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 Karlovy Vary: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $720 in Karlovy Vary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlovy Vary pays 118% 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 $44.00 in Karlovy Vary. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $243, with Karlovy Vary cheaper for home cooking.

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 Karlovy Vary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 118% lower in Karlovy Vary. 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 $720 in Karlovy Vary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $44.00 in Karlovy Vary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,357 in Karlovy Vary – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,357 in Karlovy Vary, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Karlovy Vary. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Karlovy Vary, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Karlovy Vary 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Karlovy Vary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.