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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,873 in Keflavik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,433 in Keflavik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,992 in Keflavik.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 55% less than in Keflavik, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 4% below, Keflavik is 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$23.97 ISK 2,935

-50.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$147 ISK 18.0K

-70.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$19.75 ISK 2,418

-46.38%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$4.11 ISK 503

-11.92%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$3.12 ISK 382

-52.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$2.50 ISK 307

-62.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$8.16 ISK 999

-62.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$8.16 ISK 999

-45.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.96 ISK 240

-27.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$4.14 ISK 507

-54.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.48 ISK 303

-34.27%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$6.35 ISK 777

-58.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$18.44 ISK 2,258

-55.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$23.91 ISK 2,928

-65.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$42.20 ISK 5,166

-73.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.35 ISK 287

12.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.48 ISK 304

-39.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.43 ISK 298

-18.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$3.95 ISK 483

-47.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$3.21 ISK 393

-44.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$2.03 ISK 248

7.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$3.08 ISK 377

-64.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.94 ISK 238

-46.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$13.45 ISK 1,646

-70.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$16.12 ISK 1,974

-36.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$3.71 ISK 454

-53.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.80 ISK 343

-10.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$3.52 ISK 432

-85.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$74.8 ISK 9,164

-63.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$6.24 ISK 765

-49.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$2.30 ISK 281

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$85.2 ISK 10.4K

-96.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$2.56 ISK 313

-50.39%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$47.2K ISK 5.8M

-34.57%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$52.6K ISK 6.4M

-55.64%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$87.5 ISK 10.7K

-6.32%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$27.94 ISK 3,421

-19.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$86.2 ISK 10.6K

-65.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$17.88 ISK 2,190

-72.20%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$319 ISK 39.1K

-38.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$30.3K ISK 3.7M

-82.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$137 ISK 16.7K

-73.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$61.4 ISK 7,513

-34.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$179 ISK 21.9K

-55.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$187 ISK 22.9K

-52.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$1,826 ISK 223.6K

-47.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$1,331 ISK 163.0K

-65.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$2,481 ISK 303.8K

-35.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$2,009 ISK 246.0K

-39.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$3,701 ISK 453.2K

-80.54%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Keflavik: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,826 in Keflavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keflavik pays 414% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $147 in Keflavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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 123% 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, Keflavik earns 414% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,826 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 177% less than in Keflavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $319 in Keflavik. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,873 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 $1,287 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 123% less than in Keflavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.