Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kavadarci

For one person, living is cheaper in Kavadarci: $770 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Kavadarci
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Kavadarci Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Kavadarci

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$770

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kavadarci actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $770 in Kavadarci, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Kavadarci $770

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,170 in Kavadarci, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Kavadarci $1,170

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,570 in Kavadarci, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Kavadarci $1,570

Playa del Carmen costs about 56% more than Kavadarci, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kavadarci are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Kavadarci 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$206

$5.37 MKD 295

103.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$818

$27.21 MKD 1,495

59.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$222

$3.68 MKD 202

220.11%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.9

$1.45 MKD 79.8

162.76%

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

$1.28 MX$24.19

$1.10 MKD 60.5

16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.77

$0.77 MKD 42.37

1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.7

$1.60 MKD 88.2

98.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$93.1

$2.20 MKD 121

124.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.53

$1.22 MKD 67.2

15.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.82

$0.76 MKD 41.62

192.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.73

$1.41 MKD 77.5

0.71%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.59

$2.51 MKD 138

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$6.99 MKD 384

3.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$6.44 MKD 354

19.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$10.27 MKD 564

23.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.5

$0.62 MKD 34.28

348.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.81

$1.41 MKD 77.2

-2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$48.12

$1.17 MKD 64.3

117.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$40.05

$1.94 MKD 107

9.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.56

$0.87 MKD 47.85

122.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.58

$0.80 MKD 43.90

136.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.63

$0.62 MKD 34.30

85.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.24

$0.48 MKD 26.55

145.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$81.0

$3.25 MKD 178

32.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$188

$3.73 MKD 205

166.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.87

$0.87 MKD 48.07

81.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.4

$1.33 MKD 73.2

100.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.44

$0.71 MKD 39.14

-22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$502

$29.53 MKD 1,623

-9.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.7

$1.07 MKD 58.6

364.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.8

$0.56 MKD 31.03

494.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$3.74 MKD 206

43.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.24

$1.47 MKD 80.5

-2.04%

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

$20.7K MX$389.8K

$34.4K MKD 1.9M

-39.87%

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

$23.5K MX$442.6K

$25.0K MKD 1.4M

-6.30%

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

$84.8 MX$1,599

$87.4 MKD 4,801

-2.94%

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

$23.41 MX$442

$8.96 MKD 493

161.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$541

$19.30 MKD 1,060

48.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,076

$22.17 MKD 1,218

157.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$545

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.9

$5.11 MKD 281

0.59%

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

$207 MX$3,897

$371 MKD 20.4K

-44.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$74.1K

$5,627 MKD 309.2K

-30.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$818

$71.9 MKD 3,952

-39.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$782

$36.53 MKD 2,007

13.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,400

$86.8 MKD 4,769

-14.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,684

$114 MKD 6,257

-21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.5K

$216 MKD 11.9K

353.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,184

$183 MKD 10.1K

107.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.2K

$366 MKD 20.1K

366.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.3K

$269 MKD 14.8K

299.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.4K

$1,263 MKD 69.4K

212.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$116.2K

$1,045 MKD 57.4K

488.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.9K

$576 MKD 31.7K

27.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.23

170.69%

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 Kavadarci: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Kavadarci

$183 23.8% 51.9% $198

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Kavadarci

$172 22.4% 32.3% $82

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Kavadarci

$91 11.9% 54.8% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Kavadarci

$116 15% 15.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Kavadarci

$139 18.1% 24.5% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Kavadarci

$32 4.2% 51.9% $35

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Kavadarci

$36 4.7% 28.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $216 in Kavadarci. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $27 in Kavadarci. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $172 – making Kavadarci the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇰 Kavadarci

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

05:52 5:52 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

29,320

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.3 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 18.86 MXN (100 MXN = 5.3 USD). 1 EUR = 21.02 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 54.95 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.24 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kavadarci 9,980 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kavadarci

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 Kavadarci: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,155 in Kavadarci. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kavadarci, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $216 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $770 in Kavadarci. That makes Kavadarci about 36% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kavadarci, where all-in costs run around $770, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Kavadarci it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $770 in Kavadarci to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kavadarci. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.