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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,826 in Keflavik.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,368 in Keflavik.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,910 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 5% below, Keflavik is 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$24.41 ISK 3,039

-51.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$147 ISK 18.2K

-70.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$20.33 ISK 2,531

-47.61%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.94 ISK 491

-12.44%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$3.13 ISK 390

-52.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$2.53 ISK 314

-62.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$8.12 ISK 1,011

-62.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$8.23 ISK 1,024

-43.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.93 ISK 241

-28.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$4.15 ISK 517

-55.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.35 ISK 293

-31.49%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$6.18 ISK 769

-58.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$18.22 ISK 2,268

-54.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$23.63 ISK 2,942

-64.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$43.19 ISK 5,377

-75.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.36 ISK 293

11.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.43 ISK 303

-38.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.39 ISK 298

-19.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.04 ISK 503

-48.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$3.04 ISK 378

-38.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$2.04 ISK 254

10.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$3.14 ISK 391

-66.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.95 ISK 243

-44.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$13.53 ISK 1,685

-69.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$15.82 ISK 1,970

-34.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$3.75 ISK 466

-54.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.74 ISK 341

-4.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$3.57 ISK 444

-84.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$75.1 ISK 9,355

-64.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$6.45 ISK 804

-51.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.30 ISK 286

9.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$85.4 ISK 10.6K

-96.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.47 ISK 308

-48.58%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$47.1K ISK 5.9M

-35.58%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$52.8K ISK 6.6M

-55.34%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$86.3 ISK 10.7K

-3.84%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$27.46 ISK 3,418

-17.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$85.8 ISK 10.7K

-65.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$17.45 ISK 2,173

-71.75%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$318 ISK 39.5K

-37.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$30.2K ISK 3.8M

-82.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$140 ISK 17.4K

-73.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$62.6 ISK 7,790

-36.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$185 ISK 23.1K

-56.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$184 ISK 22.9K

-51.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$1,877 ISK 233.6K

-49.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$1,344 ISK 167.3K

-64.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$2,475 ISK 308.2K

-33.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$2,042 ISK 254.2K

-40.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$3,650 ISK 454.4K

-81.73%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Keflavik: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $1,877 in Keflavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Keflavik pays 447% 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 $250 vs $559 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 122% 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 447% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,877 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 179% less than in Keflavik. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,826 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 $1,271 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 122% less than in Keflavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.