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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $952 in Kukes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,412 in Kukes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,871 in Kukes.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 32% more expensive than in Kukes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kukes 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$9.27 ALL 753

26.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$37.35 ALL 3,035

12.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.88 ALL 559

52.76%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.87 ALL 152

91.98%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.57 ALL 128

-3.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.87 ALL 70.3

5.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.29 ALL 186

29.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.18 ALL 258

38.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.51 ALL 123

-7.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.83 ALL 67.8

126.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.94 ALL 158

-19.59%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$3.01 ALL 245

-13.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.68 ALL 786

-14.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.95 ALL 565

20.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.46 ALL 688

28.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.15 ALL 93.6

135.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.72 ALL 140

-12.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$0.92 ALL 74.8

103.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.33 ALL 108

64.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.69 ALL 56.0

169.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.84 ALL 67.9

165.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.95 ALL 77.4

12.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.73 ALL 59.5

49.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.46 ALL 281

21.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$7.10 ALL 577

46.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$0.97 ALL 79.2

71.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.76 ALL 143

48.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.45 ALL 36.56

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$18.52 ALL 1,504

41.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.42 ALL 278

-9.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$3.06 ALL 249

-21.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$4.82 ALL 392

-35.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$2.14 ALL 174

-38.79%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$34.5K ALL 2.8M

-13.49%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$25.8K ALL 2.1M

-9.68%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$68.2 ALL 5,540

19.20%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$17.17 ALL 1,395

31.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$15.64 ALL 1,271

92.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$55.3 ALL 4,491

-4.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$24.83 ALL 2,018

-25.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$3.44 ALL 279

43.02%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$93.9 ALL 7,632

113.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$35.27 ALL 2,866

1.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$23.41 ALL 1,902

71.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$42.03 ALL 3,415

89.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$49.92 ALL 4,056

73.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$449 ALL 36.5K

117.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$349 ALL 28.3K

34.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$612 ALL 49.7K

169.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$429 ALL 34.9K

180.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,856 ALL 150.8K

113.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,198 ALL 97.4K

451.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$520 ALL 42.3K

30.04%

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 27, 2026

Last update for Kukes: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $449 in Kukes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Kukes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $198 per month, with Kukes 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 Kukes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kukes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $449 in Kukes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kukes runs roughly 41% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $93.9 in Kukes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $952 in Kukes versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kukes but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kukes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kukes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kukes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.