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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,090 in Kruje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,649 in Kruje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,208 in Kruje.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 15% more expensive than in Kruje, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kruje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$9.69 ALL 790

23.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$37.15 ALL 3,030

12.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.19 ALL 586

49.51%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.95 ALL 159

79.49%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.62 ALL 132

-10.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.80 ALL 65.5

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.30 ALL 188

28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.21 ALL 261

40.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.00 ALL 163

-28.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.93 ALL 75.9

97.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.96 ALL 160

-19.90%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.05 ALL 249

-17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.02 ALL 818

-17.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.55 ALL 615

11.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.35 ALL 1,089

-20.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.79 ALL 146

45.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.46 ALL 200

-41.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.68 ALL 137

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.35 ALL 110

54.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.01 ALL 82.4

83.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.20 ALL 97.7

80.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.14 ALL 92.7

-9.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.71 ALL 58.3

50.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.12 ALL 336

-0.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$10.01 ALL 817

1.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.57 ALL 128

7.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.75 ALL 143

44.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.49 ALL 39.70

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$18.63 ALL 1,520

39.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.53 ALL 288

-8.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$3.17 ALL 259

-23.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$17.34 ALL 1,415

-81.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$2.08 ALL 170

-36.54%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$34.8K ALL 2.8M

-14.72%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$25.8K ALL 2.1M

-8.33%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$68.2 ALL 5,565

20.18%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$17.22 ALL 1,405

33.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$16.10 ALL 1,313

87.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$54.8 ALL 4,472

-5.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$25.74 ALL 2,099

-28.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$8.18 ALL 667

-39.12%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$158 ALL 12.9K

24.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,544 ALL 452.2K

-3.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$46.87 ALL 3,823

-24.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$49.93 ALL 4,072

-19.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$95.4 ALL 7,782

-17.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$131 ALL 10.7K

-32.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$452 ALL 36.9K

109.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$343 ALL 28.0K

38.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$606 ALL 49.4K

171.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$437 ALL 35.7K

176.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,943 ALL 158.5K

108.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,364 ALL 111.3K

374.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$655 ALL 53.4K

-0.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

185.50%

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 Kruje: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $452 in Kruje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kruje pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Kruje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $244 per month, with Kruje 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 Kruje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kruje differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,090 including rent). Kruje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 0% lower in Kruje. 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $452 in Kruje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,090 in Kruje – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kruje runs roughly 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,090 in Kruje versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kruje but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kruje the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kruje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.