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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,156 in Kastamonu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,788 in Kastamonu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,420 in Kastamonu.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than Kastamonu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kastamonu 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.71 ₺449

22.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$38.51 ₺1,782

11.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$9.04 ₺418

17.81%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.13 ₺145

10.22%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.21 ₺56.1

23.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.41 ₺19.02

131.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$3.29 ₺152

-7.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.84 ₺178

20.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.97 ₺44.85

42.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.65 ₺30.01

184.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.38 ₺110

-32.35%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.37 ₺110

9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.30 ₺430

-11.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.77 ₺267

45.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$19.07 ₺882

-44.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.45 ₺66.9

81.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.38 ₺110

-37.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.32 ₺61.1

45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.53 ₺71.0

36.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.73 ₺33.88

154.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.57 ₺26.60

296.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.11 ₺51.5

-4.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.43 ₺19.82

153.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.18 ₺101

90.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.97 ₺461

4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.02 ₺93.4

-14.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.13 ₺145

-16.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.68 ₺31.25

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$30.60 ₺1,416

-11.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.85 ₺39.16

268.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.65 ₺29.84

286.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.16 ₺285

-48.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.19 ₺54.9

6.72%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$42.5K ₺2.0M

-28.51%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$43.2K ₺2.0M

-45.40%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$84.1 ₺3,893

-1.35%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$10.72 ₺496

111.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$13.77 ₺637

113.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$43.86 ₺2,029

16.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.47 ₺299

-23.80%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$599 ₺27.7K

-67.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$13.5K ₺625.3K

-60.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$58.6 ₺2,709

-36.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$43.75 ₺2,024

-8.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$105 ₺4,835

-23.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$96.5 ₺4,464

-7.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$508 ₺23.5K

88.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$389 ₺18.0K

22.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$892 ₺41.3K

84.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$704 ₺32.6K

74.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,317 ₺60.9K

197.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$910 ₺42.1K

609.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,362 ₺63.0K

-51.04%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Kastamonu: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $508 in Kastamonu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kastamonu pays 104% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Kastamonu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $233 per month, with Kastamonu 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 Kastamonu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kastamonu differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,156 including rent). Kastamonu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kastamonu earns 104% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Kastamonu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,156 in Kastamonu – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kastamonu runs roughly 14% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,156 in Kastamonu versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kastamonu but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kastamonu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kastamonu 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 Kastamonu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.