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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $975 in Kukes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,415 in Kukes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,855 in Kukes.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Kukes 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$9.21 ALL 753

29.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$36.88 ALL 3,014

15.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.22 ALL 590

46.68%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$1.86 ALL 152

94.62%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.63 ALL 133

-9.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.83 ALL 67.7

13.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.42 ALL 197

27.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.19 ALL 260

39.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.54 ALL 126

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.79 ALL 64.9

137.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$2.01 ALL 164

-18.91%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$3.05 ALL 249

-13.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$9.25 ALL 756

-11.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$7.13 ALL 583

16.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$8.38 ALL 685

32.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$1.15 ALL 94.2

130.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.73 ALL 142

-13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$0.98 ALL 80.3

103.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$1.38 ALL 113

50.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$0.73 ALL 59.3

145.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.81 ALL 65.8

169.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.90 ALL 73.8

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.68 ALL 55.7

52.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$3.45 ALL 282

15.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$7.56 ALL 618

34.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$0.92 ALL 74.9

88.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$1.82 ALL 149

37.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.45 ALL 36.71

15.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

$19.02 ALL 1,555

41.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$3.58 ALL 292

-12.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$3.17 ALL 259

-24.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$4.69 ALL 384

-34.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$2.17 ALL 178

-41.47%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$34.7K ALL 2.8M

-11.05%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$25.3K ALL 2.1M

-7.67%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$68.0 ALL 5,558

20.57%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$17.24 ALL 1,409

30.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$16.16 ALL 1,321

83.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$55.0 ALL 4,496

-5.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

$25.70 ALL 2,101

-27.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$3.57 ALL 292

39.22%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$93.1 ALL 7,610

112.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$34.85 ALL 2,848

4.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$23.08 ALL 1,886

73.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$40.65 ALL 3,322

96.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$48.87 ALL 3,994

81.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$459 ALL 37.5K

109.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$337 ALL 27.5K

37.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$614 ALL 50.2K

159.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$436 ALL 35.6K

177.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

$1,843 ALL 150.6K

113.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

$1,228 ALL 100.3K

425.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

$460 ALL 37.6K

56.66%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Kukes: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $459 in Kukes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 57% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Kukes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 57% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $459 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 42% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $93.1 in Kukes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $975 in Kukes versus $1,287 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.