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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,853 in Keflavik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,401 in Keflavik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,949 in Keflavik.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 56% less than in Keflavik, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Keflavik is 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$23.97 ISK 2,962

-51.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$143 ISK 17.7K

-70.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$20.29 ISK 2,508

-48.20%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.95 ISK 488

-9.11%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$3.18 ISK 393

-52.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$2.52 ISK 312

-63.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$7.95 ISK 983

-62.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$8.18 ISK 1,011

-46.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.87 ISK 231

-25.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$4.18 ISK 517

-55.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.37 ISK 293

-34.18%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$6.43 ISK 795

-59.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$18.22 ISK 2,252

-54.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$24.11 ISK 2,980

-65.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$42.82 ISK 5,292

-74.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.35 ISK 291

15.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.44 ISK 302

-38.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$2.36 ISK 291

-20.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.00 ISK 494

-45.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$3.06 ISK 378

-39.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.01 ISK 249

10.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$3.17 ISK 392

-66.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.93 ISK 239

-43.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$13.80 ISK 1,706

-69.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$15.90 ISK 1,965

-34.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$3.74 ISK 462

-55.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.82 ISK 349

-7.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$3.67 ISK 454

-85.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$74.3 ISK 9,183

-64.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$6.37 ISK 787

-51.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.26 ISK 279

6.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$86.4 ISK 10.7K

-96.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.43 ISK 300

-46.09%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$47.5K ISK 5.9M

-37.27%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$52.0K ISK 6.4M

-55.15%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$86.6 ISK 10.7K

-6.09%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$27.84 ISK 3,441

-18.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$86.2 ISK 10.7K

-65.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$17.61 ISK 2,177

-72.06%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$318 ISK 39.3K

-36.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$29.7K ISK 3.7M

-82.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$141 ISK 17.4K

-74.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$62.8 ISK 7,766

-36.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$180 ISK 22.3K

-55.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$188 ISK 23.2K

-53.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$1,829 ISK 226.0K

-46.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$1,350 ISK 166.8K

-65.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$2,442 ISK 301.8K

-32.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$2,007 ISK 248.1K

-40.03%

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

$3,712 ISK 458.9K

-81.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.63

18.59%

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 Keflavik: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $1,829 in Keflavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keflavik pays 449% 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 $143 in Keflavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $560 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Keflavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 126% lower than in Keflavik. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 449% lower in Keflavik. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,829 in Keflavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 184% less than in Keflavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $318 in Keflavik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,853 in Keflavik, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Keflavik. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Keflavik 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 126% less than in Keflavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.