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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,502 in Kos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,330 in Kos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,157 in Kos.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 16% less than in Kos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Kos is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$17.15 €14.59

-32.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$75.8 €64.5

-43.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$11.97 €10.18

-11.45%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$4.82 €4.10

-25.52%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$3.30 €2.81

-56.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$1.10 €0.94

-18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$4.65 €3.96

-34.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$7.05 €6.00

-35.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$2.45 €2.08

-40.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$1.63 €1.38

12.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$2.49 €2.12

-35.34%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$4.17 €3.55

-39.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$13.39 €11.40

-36.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$9.71 €8.26

-12.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$13.77 €11.71

-21.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$2.22 €1.89

22.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$2.14 €1.82

-30.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$1.48 €1.26

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$2.04 €1.73

5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$1.27 €1.08

45.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$1.25 €1.07

75.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.98 €0.84

9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.80 €0.68

35.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$5.29 €4.51

-23.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$7.25 €6.17

44.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$2.00 €1.70

-17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$2.80 €2.39

-8.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$1.53 €1.30

-63.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$45.64 €38.84

-42.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$4.58 €3.90

-31.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$13.82 €11.76

-76.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$2.17 €1.85

-39.63%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$31.2K €26.5K

-2.04%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$27.0K €23.0K

-11.92%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$213 €181

-60.95%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$22.88 €19.47

-3.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$36.02 €30.65

-18.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$49.12 €41.80

4.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$26.38 €22.45

-29.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$9.41 €8.01

-48.03%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$420 €358

-52.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$6,074 €5,169

-14.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$90.0 €76.6

-60.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$38.36 €32.64

2.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$88.3 €75.2

-9.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$108 €91.9

-18.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$485 €412

98.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$377 €321

27.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$755 €642

117.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$619 €527

92.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$3,435 €2,923

15.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$2,236 €1,903

191.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$944 €803

-23.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.43

157.79%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Last update for Kos: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $485 in Kos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kos pays 30% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $76 in Kos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $287 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Kos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Kos. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kos earns 30% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $485 in Kos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $76.0 in Kos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,262 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,502 in Kos – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,502 in Kos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Kos. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,262 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Kos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.