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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $865 in Kocani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,276 in Kocani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,687 in Kocani.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 46% more expensive than Kocani, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kocani 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$5.57 MKD 292

109.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$28.51 MKD 1,494

46.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$5.13 MKD 269

102.73%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.16 MKD 61.0

211.21%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.52 MKD 79.5

-3.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$1.11 MKD 58.2

-18.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.29 MKD 120

32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.79 MKD 146

60.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.28 MKD 67.1

7.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$0.55 MKD 28.62

234.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.53 MKD 80.1

5.23%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.91 MKD 100

34.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$10.33 MKD 541

-17.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$5.71 MKD 299

48.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$13.30 MKD 697

-17.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$0.77 MKD 40.61

254.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.43 MKD 75.0

4.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.27 MKD 66.4

54.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.47 MKD 76.9

44.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$0.98 MKD 51.1

89.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.35 MKD 70.6

60.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.57 MKD 29.88

87.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.52 MKD 27.48

101.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$3.05 MKD 160

37.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$3.79 MKD 199

171.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$0.93 MKD 48.55

79.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$1.85 MKD 97.0

34.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.68 MKD 35.51

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$20.01 MKD 1,049

31.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.15 MKD 60.2

169.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.50 MKD 26.01

392.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$3.73 MKD 195

-13.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.50 MKD 78.5

-16.00%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$31.6K MKD 1.7M

-4.62%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$33.6K MKD 1.8M

-30.17%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$143 MKD 7,514

-41.42%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$17.16 MKD 899

29.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$15.81 MKD 828

87.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$20.42 MKD 1,070

157.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.82 MKD 253

2.70%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$219 MKD 11.5K

-9.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$1,217 MKD 63.8K

337.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$77.5 MKD 4,063

-53.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$47.48 MKD 2,488

-15.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$75.8 MKD 3,973

3.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$111 MKD 5,842

-22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$285 MKD 14.9K

243.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$195 MKD 10.2K

141.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$557 MKD 29.2K

186.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$307 MKD 16.1K

295.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,587 MKD 83.2K

154.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,232 MKD 64.5K

434.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$473 MKD 24.8K

50.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.1

60.85%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Kocani: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $285 in Kocani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 51% 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 in Playa del Carmen vs $29 in Kocani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $186 per month, with Kocani 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 Kocani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kocani differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,261 vs $865 including rent). Kocani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 51% more on average, 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: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $285 in Kocani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kocani runs roughly 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $219 in Kocani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $865 in Kocani versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kocani but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kocani 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.

Expats usually find Kocani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.