Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kicevo

For one person, living is cheaper in Kicevo: $893 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Kicevo, North Macedonia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Kicevo
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$893
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $893 in Kicevo.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Kicevo $893

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,312 in Kicevo.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Kicevo $1,312

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,732 in Kicevo.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Kicevo $1,732

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 35% more expensive than in Kicevo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Kicevo 34% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Kicevo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$200
$3.91 MKD 213
172.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$823
$18.07 MKD 984
142.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$221
$4.46 MKD 243
164.35%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$71.1
$1.13 MKD 61.8
235.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.36
$1.34 MKD 73.3
-2.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.65
$0.71 MKD 38.93
16.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$59.1
$2.24 MKD 122
40.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$2.22 MKD 121
122.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Kicevo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.46
$1.24 MKD 67.5
13.71%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.23
$0.57 MKD 31.18
285.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.66
$1.83 MKD 99.5
-19.67%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.89
$2.44 MKD 133
2.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$137
$7.23 MKD 394
0.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$149
$7.58 MKD 413
4.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$242
$15.17 MKD 827
-15.23%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.4
$1.48 MKD 80.8
95.95%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.98
$1.41 MKD 76.6
-2.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.78
$1.38 MKD 75.3
80.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.12
$1.88 MKD 102
7.98%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.03
$0.88 MKD 48.08
129.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.74
$0.84 MKD 45.69
126.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.49
$0.60 MKD 32.63
90.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.27
$0.37 MKD 20.25
235.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$80.2
$2.96 MKD 161
44.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$184
$5.36 MKD 292
83.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.78
$1.06 MKD 58.0
50.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.6
$1.47 MKD 80.2
87.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Kicevo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.67
$0.70 MKD 38.00
-27.14%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$514
$23.27 MKD 1,268
17.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.4
$1.07 MKD 58.2
344.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$61.0
$0.61 MKD 33.36
432.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
$7.46 MKD 407
-27.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.70
$1.33 MKD 72.7
15.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$398.4K
$33.4K MKD 1.8M
-36.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$436.9K
$26.5K MKD 1.4M
-12.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Kicevo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,568
$155 MKD 8,468
-46.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$435
$18.25 MKD 994
27.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$519
$19.30 MKD 1,052
43.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Kicevo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,060
$21.78 MKD 1,186
159.09%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$529
$17.48 MKD 953
61.27%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.9
$7.36 MKD 401
-32.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Kicevo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,889
$366 MKD 19.9K
-43.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$98.2K
$5,725 MKD 311.9K
-8.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Kicevo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$816
$85.3 MKD 4,645
-49.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$799
$36.74 MKD 2,002
15.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,367
$102 MKD 5,556
-28.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,660
$112 MKD 6,117
-21.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Kicevo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.7K
$274 MKD 14.9K
262.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,181
$198 MKD 10.8K
92.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.4K
$504 MKD 27.5K
231.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.3K
$303 MKD 16.5K
256.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.4K
$1,522 MKD 82.9K
156.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$115.3K
$1,165 MKD 63.5K
426.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Kicevo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.6K
$568 MKD 30.9K
46.54%
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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kicevo: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Kicevo
$198 48.1% $184
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Kicevo
$201 21.8% $56
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Kicevo
$82 59% $118
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Kicevo
$193 43.7% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Kicevo
$151 36.1% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Kicevo
$37 45.1% $30
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Kicevo
$30 40.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $274 in Kicevo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 47% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $18 in Kicevo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $201 per month, with Kicevo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇲🇰 Kicevo
🕒 Local time
07:32 7:32 AM
13:32 1:32 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
31,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 54.48 MKD (100 MKD = 1.84 USD). 1 EUR = 61.19 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Kicevo 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Kicevo

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 Kicevo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Kicevo?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $893 in Kicevo, so Kicevo is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Playa del Carmen or Kicevo?
Average pay runs 47% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Kicevo?
Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $274 in Kicevo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Playa del Carmen or Kicevo?
All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $893 in Kicevo – Kicevo is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How do commuting costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Kicevo?
A monthly transit pass in Kicevo runs roughly 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $893 in Kicevo versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kicevo but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kicevo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Kicevo?
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.
Where should expats move: Playa del Carmen or Kicevo?
Expats usually find Kicevo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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