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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $299 in Kollam, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $484 in Kollam, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $668 in Kollam, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 333% more than Kollam, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kollam are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Kollam 78% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.14 ₹109

928.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$7.04 ₹674

491.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$3.96 ₹379

168.69%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$1.26 ₹120

179.37%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.40 ₹38.68

277.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.12 ₹11.88

708.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$1.69 ₹162

74.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$2.97 ₹285

49.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$0.59 ₹56.1

133.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.47 ₹45.16

302.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$0.51 ₹48.93

221.57%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$0.82 ₹78.1

206.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$5.29 ₹506

57.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$2.26 ₹216

269.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.24 ₹214

16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$0.58 ₹55.4

151.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$0.79 ₹76.1

140.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.45 ₹43.20

362.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.48 ₹46.13

270.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.39 ₹37.42

461.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.40 ₹37.93

160.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.30 ₹28.56

260.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.55 ₹340

14.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$2.58 ₹247

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$2.20 ₹211

-22.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.88 ₹276

-10.42%

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

$4.63 ₹443

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.12 ₹11.24

325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$7.82 ₹748

238.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.14 ₹109

185.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.30 ₹28.51

730.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$1.59 ₹153

104.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.21 ₹116

8.26%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$11.7K ₹1.1M

158.21%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$15.9K ₹1.5M

47.33%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$26.84 ₹2,569

208.76%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$3.29 ₹315

575.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$5.74 ₹549

411.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$12.11 ₹1,159

326.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$14.27 ₹1,365

28.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$1.72 ₹164

194.77%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$23.69 ₹2,267

747.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$1,543 ₹147.6K

237.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$18.56 ₹1,776

98.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$19.39 ₹1,856

105.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$28.36 ₹2,714

176.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$27.59 ₹2,640

215.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$92.4 ₹8,842

952.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$52.7 ₹5,040

788.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$198 ₹18.9K

729.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$128 ₹12.2K

854.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$832 ₹79.6K

374.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$458 ₹43.8K

1318.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$532 ₹50.9K

24.91%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kollam: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $92.4 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 25% 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 $92.0 – 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 333% 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $449 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 169% 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 $299, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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 $299 versus $1,297 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.