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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,359 in Karlovy Vary.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,236 in Karlovy Vary.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,112 in Karlovy Vary.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 5% less than in Karlovy Vary, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Karlovy Vary is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$8.51 Kč 177

37.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$43.73 Kč 912

-4.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$8.91 Kč 186

19.42%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.90 Kč 60.5

21.38%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.96 Kč 40.87

-22.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$1.23 Kč 25.69

-21.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.05 Kč 42.70

43.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.02 Kč 42.06

120.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.15 Kč 23.92

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.50 Kč 31.32

26.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$2.10 Kč 43.81

-21.90%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$2.78 Kč 58.0

-9.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$12.50 Kč 261

-33.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$7.02 Kč 146

18.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$12.68 Kč 264

-15.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.73 Kč 36.06

50.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.72 Kč 35.95

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$2.14 Kč 44.56

-11.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$3.41 Kč 71.1

-39.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.32 Kč 27.58

34.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.15 Kč 24.00

90.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.18 Kč 24.66

-11.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.73 Kč 15.14

47.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$6.98 Kč 146

-41.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$7.16 Kč 149

44.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$0.92 Kč 19.22

85.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.82 Kč 37.94

41.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$2.31 Kč 48.26

-77.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$25.86 Kč 539

2.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$2.88 Kč 59.9

13.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.32 Kč 27.52

88.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$15.29 Kč 319

-78.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.70 Kč 35.51

-22.94%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$28.4K Kč 591.2K

6.77%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$23.8K Kč 496.3K

-1.58%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$258 Kč 5,382

-67.90%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$25.42 Kč 530

-12.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$20.69 Kč 431

41.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$57.7 Kč 1,202

-10.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$21.88 Kč 456

-16.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$7.04 Kč 147

-27.98%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$187 Kč 3,892

7.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$2,833 Kč 59.1K

83.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$85.0 Kč 1,772

-56.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$41.27 Kč 860

-3.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$98.7 Kč 2,057

-20.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$113 Kč 2,347

-22.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$730 Kč 15.2K

33.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$388 Kč 8,081

20.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,420 Kč 29.6K

15.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$1,145 Kč 23.9K

6.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$7,263 Kč 151.4K

-45.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$5,248 Kč 109.4K

23.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,469 Kč 30.6K

-54.79%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Karlovy Vary: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $730 in Karlovy Vary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karlovy Vary pays 121% 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 $244, 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 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Karlovy Vary earns 121% 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 $730 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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,359 in Karlovy Vary – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,359 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 5% less than in Karlovy Vary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.