Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Kololi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kololi: $112 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Kololi

🇬🇲 Gambia

$112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $112 in Kololi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Kololi $112

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $264 in Kololi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Kololi $264

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $417 in Kololi, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Kololi $417

Playa del Carmen costs about 977% more than Kololi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Kololi are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Kololi 92% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$43.26 GMD 3,205

0.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.59 GMD 192

47.10%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.28 GMD 169

-43.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.91 GMD 67.6

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$6.68 GMD 495

-52.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$4.45 GMD 330

10.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$1.31 GMD 96.8

69.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$6.29 GMD 466

58.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Kololi: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Kololi

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Kololi

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Kololi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Kololi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Kololi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Kololi

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Kololi

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $43 in Kololi. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $26 in Kololi – so Kololi wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇬🇲 Kololi

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

22:56 10:56 PM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

8,710

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 74.1 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 82.49 GMD (100 GMD = 1.21 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Kololi 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Kololi

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 Kololi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $112 in Kololi – Kololi comes out roughly 91% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $168 in Kololi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $112 in Kololi. That makes Kololi about 91% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 893% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kololi, where all-in costs run around $112, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Kololi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $112 in Kololi to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.