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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,098 in Kruje.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,626 in Kruje.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,154 in Kruje.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 18% more expensive than Kruje, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Kruje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$9.43 ALL 772

24.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$37.28 ALL 3,050

11.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.03 ALL 575

51.35%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.90 ALL 155

85.26%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.65 ALL 135

-8.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.86 ALL 70.1

12.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.33 ALL 191

26.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.21 ALL 263

38.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.98 ALL 162

-30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.93 ALL 76.4

103.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.00 ALL 164

-18.00%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.00 ALL 245

-16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.67 ALL 791

-13.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.96 ALL 651

4.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$12.99 ALL 1,063

-17.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.72 ALL 141

51.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.48 ALL 203

-41.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.74 ALL 142

9.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.39 ALL 114

49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.01 ALL 83.0

76.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.22 ALL 100.0

79.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.10 ALL 89.6

-5.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.78 ALL 63.8

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.95 ALL 323

3.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$10.15 ALL 830

1.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.60 ALL 131

6.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.80 ALL 147

43.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.46 ALL 37.36

10.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$18.48 ALL 1,512

43.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.40 ALL 278

-4.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$3.16 ALL 259

-21.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$17.42 ALL 1,425

-81.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$2.08 ALL 170

-37.02%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$34.4K ALL 2.8M

-11.87%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$25.6K ALL 2.1M

-8.58%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$67.3 ALL 5,504

23.17%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$17.54 ALL 1,435

26.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$15.69 ALL 1,283

87.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$54.5 ALL 4,459

-5.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$24.94 ALL 2,040

-26.54%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$8.01 ALL 656

-36.70%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$160 ALL 13.1K

25.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$5,635 ALL 461.0K

-7.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$47.99 ALL 3,926

-23.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$50.8 ALL 4,158

-21.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$95.0 ALL 7,775

-17.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$132 ALL 10.8K

-33.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$456 ALL 37.3K

113.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$338 ALL 27.6K

38.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$609 ALL 49.8K

169.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$437 ALL 35.8K

179.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,854 ALL 151.7K

112.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,212 ALL 99.1K

436.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$649 ALL 53.1K

2.33%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Kruje: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $456 in Kruje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 2% 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: $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 $245 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 18% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,098 including rent). Kruje is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 2% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $456 in Kruje. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,098 in Kruje – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kruje runs roughly 43% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,098 in Kruje versus $1,297 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 18% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.