Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kollam

For one person, living is cheaper in Kollam: $284 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
14

Cost of Living Index in Kollam
Learn more

Kollam Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Kollam

🇮🇳 India

$284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $284 in Kollam, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Kollam $284

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $446 in Kollam, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Kollam $446

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $609 in Kollam, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Kollam $609

Playa del Carmen costs about 324% more than Kollam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kollam are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Kollam 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$1.03 ₹97.5

960.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$6.14 ₹583

606.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$3.23 ₹307

264.71%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.37 ₹130

178.10%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.34 ₹31.98

276.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.12 ₹11.54

550.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$1.33 ₹126

138.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$1.86 ₹177

165.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$0.60 ₹57.4

135.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.48 ₹45.65

362.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$0.51 ₹47.98

178.43%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$0.78 ₹74.1

223.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$3.59 ₹341

102.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$2.13 ₹202

261.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.57 ₹149

77.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$0.59 ₹56.2

132.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$0.70 ₹66.1

264.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$0.41 ₹38.63

417.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.35 ₹32.95

454.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.35 ₹33.53

440.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.61 ₹57.8

88.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.27 ₹25.68

337.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$5.17 ₹491

-16.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$2.70 ₹256

268.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$2.05 ₹195

-22.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.72 ₹258

-1.84%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$3.35 ₹318

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.17 ₹15.88

223.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$7.20 ₹684

269.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.81 ₹76.8

513.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.33 ₹31.55

909.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$2.05 ₹195

161.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.11 ₹106

29.73%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$9,035 ₹857.7K

128.73%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$16.6K ₹1.6M

41.34%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$32.12 ₹3,050

163.98%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$2.97 ₹282

688.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$5.04 ₹479

468.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$13.44 ₹1,276

324.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$10.44 ₹991

176.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$1.54 ₹146

233.77%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$21.19 ₹2,012

874.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$2,630 ₹249.7K

49.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$16.30 ₹1,548

165.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$23.34 ₹2,215

77.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$25.49 ₹2,420

191.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$24.42 ₹2,318

265.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$82.2 ₹7,800

1092.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$47.79 ₹4,537

696.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$182 ₹17.3K

837.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$115 ₹10.9K

835.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$834 ₹79.2K

372.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$449 ₹42.6K

1271.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$525 ₹49.9K

39.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.13

25.41%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kollam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Kollam

$48 16.8% 87.5% $333

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Kollam

$82 28.9% 67.8% $173

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Kollam

$47 16.4% 77% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Kollam

$40 14.1% 70.7% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Kollam

$40 14.2% 63.9% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Kollam

$17 5.8% 75.5% $51

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Kollam

$10 3.6% 79.5% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $82 in Kollam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $6 in Kollam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $82 – making Kollam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇮🇳 Kollam

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

06:18 6:18 AM

10 h 30 min ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

367,107

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Indian Rupee INR ₹

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.94 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kollam 16,280 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kollam

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 Kollam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 324% more than Kollam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $426 in Kollam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kollam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $82 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 210% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $6 in Kollam. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kollam, where all-in costs run around $284, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Kollam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kollam – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Kollam. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.