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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $360 in Kawasoti.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $616 in Kawasoti.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $871 in Kawasoti.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 250% more expensive than in Kawasoti, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kawasoti 73% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$1.80 NPR 275

551.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$19.23 NPR 2,935

117.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.48 NPR 989

62.19%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.84 NPR 281

95.11%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.54 NPR 81.7

179.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.16 NPR 24.13

475.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.65 NPR 404

11.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.58 NPR 547

23.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.82 NPR 126

70.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.55 NPR 83.6

241.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$0.94 NPR 143

65.96%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.83 NPR 279

42.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.02 NPR 1,377

-7.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$2.93 NPR 447

184.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$5.97 NPR 912

81.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.28 NPR 348

18.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$0.88 NPR 135

71.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.70 NPR 107

167.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.49 NPR 74.2

346.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.38 NPR 57.4

389.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.49 NPR 74.3

355.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.37 NPR 57.1

189.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.25 NPR 37.83

336.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.93 NPR 447

43.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$2.64 NPR 402

295.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.27 NPR 346

-26.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.84 NPR 434

-8.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.20 NPR 30.09

170.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.76 NPR 116

305.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.91 NPR 139

163.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.22 NPR 339

40.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.27 NPR 193

3.15%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$32.7K NPR 5.0M

-8.72%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$40.6K NPR 6.2M

-42.56%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$18.13 NPR 2,766

348.32%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$3.68 NPR 562

513.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$7.11 NPR 1,085

322.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$18.06 NPR 2,756

192.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$7.12 NPR 1,087

158.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$1.86 NPR 283

164.52%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$90.2 NPR 13.8K

122.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,762 NPR 574.2K

37.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$14.40 NPR 2,198

149.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$10.80 NPR 1,648

271.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$21.46 NPR 3,276

271.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$11.09 NPR 1,693

679.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$106 NPR 16.1K

825.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$64.3 NPR 9,816

631.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$209 NPR 31.9K

690.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$143 NPR 21.9K

738.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$229 NPR 34.9K

196.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kawasoti: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $106 in Kawasoti. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 196% 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 $19.00 in Kawasoti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $135 per month, with Kawasoti 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 Kawasoti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kawasoti differ by about 250% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $360 including rent). Kawasoti is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 196% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $106 in Kawasoti. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $360 in Kawasoti – a 250% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $360 in Kawasoti versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kawasoti but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kawasoti 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 Kawasoti 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 Kawasoti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 250% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.