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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $298 in Kollam, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $481 in Kollam, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $664 in Kollam, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 321% more than Kollam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kollam are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kollam 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$1.19 ₹114

907.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$6.86 ₹661

509.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$4.10 ₹395

162.20%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.30 ₹125

169.23%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.40 ₹38.58

262.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.13 ₹12.80

576.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.78 ₹172

65.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.93 ₹282

53.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$0.63 ₹60.6

126.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$0.44 ₹42.31

318.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$0.48 ₹46.41

227.08%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$0.87 ₹83.4

188.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$5.28 ₹509

56.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$2.25 ₹217

274.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.16 ₹208

20.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$0.63 ₹60.2

128.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$0.74 ₹71.0

164.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$0.45 ₹43.31

364.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$0.49 ₹47.02

277.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$0.36 ₹34.93

502.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.42 ₹40.62

145.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.30 ₹28.58

256.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$3.55 ₹342

15.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$2.62 ₹253

288.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$2.28 ₹220

-26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$2.82 ₹272

-10.28%

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

$4.48 ₹431

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.11 ₹10.14

363.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$8.08 ₹778

222.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$1.14 ₹110

183.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.32 ₹30.97

653.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$1.61 ₹155

100.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.17 ₹113

12.82%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$11.4K ₹1.1M

159.84%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$16.0K ₹1.5M

48.07%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$27.57 ₹2,654

197.46%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$3.41 ₹328

573.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$5.86 ₹564

413.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$12.04 ₹1,159

331.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$14.35 ₹1,382

29.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$1.76 ₹169

182.95%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$23.47 ₹2,260

741.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$1,548 ₹149.1K

244.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$18.58 ₹1,789

91.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$19.42 ₹1,870

107.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$28.25 ₹2,719

178.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$27.39 ₹2,637

224.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$92.9 ₹8,942

919.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$52.4 ₹5,042

804.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$203 ₹19.5K

709.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$129 ₹12.4K

836.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$836 ₹80.4K

385.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$458 ₹44.1K

1313.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

$527 ₹50.7K

24.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.97

27.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Kollam: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $92.9 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 24% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $7.00 in Kollam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $93.0 – 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 321% 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 $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $448 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 168% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $7.00 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 $298, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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 $298 versus $1,256 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.