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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $281 in Kollam, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $456 in Kollam, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $630 in Kollam, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 350% more than Kollam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kollam are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Kollam 79% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$1.02 ₹98.0

1037.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$6.14 ₹589

667.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$3.59 ₹345

230.92%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$1.40 ₹134

184.29%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.41 ₹39.29

248.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.15 ₹14.58

446.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.12 ₹107

184.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.68 ₹257

153.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$0.57 ₹54.8

194.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.40 ₹38.54

450.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$0.47 ₹45.22

263.83%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$0.75 ₹71.5

265.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$5.27 ₹506

81.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$2.04 ₹196

341.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.64 ₹158

76.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.58 ₹56.0

158.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$0.68 ₹64.8

216.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$0.39 ₹37.50

479.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.43 ₹41.44

360.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.35 ₹33.89

468.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.36 ₹34.46

241.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.30 ₹29.07

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$5.09 ₹488

-10.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$2.64 ₹254

292.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.67 ₹160

-2.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.75 ₹264

4.73%

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

$4.16 ₹399

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.15 ₹14.47

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$7.16 ₹687

302.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.02 ₹98.1

428.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.26 ₹24.91

1334.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$1.60 ₹154

260.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.06 ₹102

45.28%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$10.4K ₹999.3K

116.49%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$16.4K ₹1.6M

58.72%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$32.97 ₹3,163

177.16%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$2.93 ₹281

760.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$5.23 ₹502

497.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

$13.31 ₹1,277

404.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$12.75 ₹1,223

128.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$1.53 ₹147

217.65%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$20.74 ₹1,990

978.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$1,328 ₹127.4K

218.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$16.33 ₹1,567

188.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$21.68 ₹2,080

104.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$24.98 ₹2,396

220.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$24.08 ₹2,310

284.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$82.3 ₹7,892

1191.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$46.28 ₹4,441

743.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$182 ₹17.5K

1080.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$114 ₹10.9K

1015.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$828 ₹79.4K

383.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$443 ₹42.5K

1368.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$530 ₹50.9K

43.05%

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: September 12, 2026

Last update for Kollam: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $82.3 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 43% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $6.00 in Kollam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $83.0 – making Kollam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 350% more than Kollam, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $422 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 232% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $6.00 in Kollam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kollam, where all-in costs run around $281, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Kollam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kollam costs $281 versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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