Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kathmandu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kathmandu: $488 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
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Kathmandu Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Kathmandu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Kathmandu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $488 in Kathmandu.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Kathmandu $488

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $783 in Kathmandu.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Kathmandu $783

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,077 in Kathmandu.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Kathmandu $1,077

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 147% more expensive than in Kathmandu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Kathmandu 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$1.92 NPR 291

468.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$20.72 NPR 3,146

109.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$7.02 NPR 1,065

67.81%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.56 NPR 236

144.23%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.51 NPR 78.2

150.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.14 NPR 20.87

457.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.11 NPR 472

1.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.32 NPR 504

48.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$0.77 NPR 117

83.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.62 NPR 93.9

258.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$0.92 NPR 139

54.35%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$1.74 NPR 264

44.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$7.51 NPR 1,141

-3.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$3.10 NPR 471

148.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$5.99 NPR 909

111.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$2.08 NPR 316

33.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.19 NPR 181

15.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.44 NPR 219

77.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$0.59 NPR 89.3

259.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.39 NPR 58.8

397.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.54 NPR 81.8

250.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.49 NPR 74.9

134.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.22 NPR 33.20

436.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$2.46 NPR 373

74.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$7.97 NPR 1,209

24.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$2.30 NPR 349

-31.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$3.02 NPR 458

-11.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.17 NPR 26.26

223.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$9.75 NPR 1,481

173.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$1.79 NPR 272

177.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$1.16 NPR 176

187.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$3.33 NPR 505

60.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.39 NPR 210

3.60%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$35.7K NPR 5.4M

-42.13%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$35.9K NPR 5.4M

-34.60%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$31.31 NPR 4,753

170.81%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$3.58 NPR 544

553.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$9.30 NPR 1,411

208.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$24.50 NPR 3,720

132.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$6.97 NPR 1,059

314.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$2.94 NPR 446

74.83%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$66.9 NPR 10.1K

208.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$5,521 NPR 838.1K

-28.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$23.85 NPR 3,621

81.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$26.77 NPR 4,064

54.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$62.6 NPR 9,510

18.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$29.36 NPR 4,458

203.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$217 NPR 32.9K

352.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$104 NPR 15.8K

264.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$432 NPR 65.5K

295.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$200 NPR 30.4K

437.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$2,336 NPR 354.6K

68.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,330 NPR 201.9K

363.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$268 NPR 40.6K

174.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.98

14.73%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Kathmandu

$104 21.4% 72.6% $276

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Kathmandu

$147 30.2% 42.2% $108

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Kathmandu

$80 16.4% 60.6% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Kathmandu

$44 9.1% 67.7% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Kathmandu

$64 13.2% 42.5% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Kathmandu

$30 6.2% 54.9% $37

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Kathmandu

$18 3.7% 64.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $217 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $21 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $147 per month, with Kathmandu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🕒 Local time

21:30 9:30 PM

08:15 8:15 AM

10 h 45 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

975,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NPR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 152 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 170 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.9 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kathmandu 14,580 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kathmandu

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Playa del Carmen is about 2.7 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $217 in Kathmandu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kathmandu – a meal for two runs $21 versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $488 in Kathmandu – Kathmandu is about 59% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $488 in Kathmandu versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $800 budget is realistic in Kathmandu but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kathmandu 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.

Expats usually find Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.