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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $773 in Kukes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,144 in Kukes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,515 in Kukes.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 64% more expensive than in Kukes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Kukes 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.71 ALL 294

212.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$23.00 ALL 1,823

104.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.59 ALL 602

56.52%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.48 ALL 117

168.92%

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

$1.43 MX$24.58

$1.40 ALL 111

2.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.70 ALL 55.6

17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.84 ALL 146

73.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.29 ALL 181

196.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.86

$1.63 ALL 129

3.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.84

$0.84 ALL 66.7

161.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.42

$2.06 ALL 163

-16.99%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.21

$2.74 ALL 217

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$9.39 ALL 744

2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$7.57 ALL 600

19.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.77 ALL 853

18.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.75

$1.00 ALL 79.2

189.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.79

$1.89 ALL 150

-20.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.00

$1.03 ALL 81.7

108.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$1.62 ALL 128

39.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.11

$0.78 ALL 62.2

153.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.27

$1.06 ALL 83.8

87.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.26

$1.04 ALL 82.6

18.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.61

$0.72 ALL 57.3

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.4

$4.28 ALL 339

6.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.39 ALL 586

40.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.16 ALL 91.7

39.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.61

$1.69 ALL 134

70.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.52 ALL 41.49

15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$19.91 ALL 1,578

44.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$3.75 ALL 298

43.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$3.80 ALL 301

-1.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.4

$5.07 ALL 402

13.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.46

$2.28 ALL 181

-32.46%

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

$22.5K MX$388.4K

$34.5K ALL 2.7M

-34.71%

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

$26.1K MX$448.8K

$25.3K ALL 2.0M

2.86%

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

$91.4 MX$1,574

$64.1 ALL 5,080

42.54%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$16.46 ALL 1,304

53.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$17.76 ALL 1,407

75.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,158

$58.9 ALL 4,664

14.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$12.36 ALL 979

135.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$3.70 ALL 293

31.35%

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

$224 MX$3,852

$100 ALL 7,960

122.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$37.25 ALL 2,952

26.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$28.64 ALL 2,269

54.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,380

$50.2 ALL 3,975

59.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$46.17 ALL 3,659

100.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$235 ALL 18.6K

352.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,721

$174 ALL 13.8K

124.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$285 ALL 22.6K

653.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$218 ALL 17.2K

484.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,876 ALL 148.7K

113.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,267 ALL 100.4K

413.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$549 ALL 43.5K

38.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Kukes: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $235 in Kukes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 38% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Kukes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $212 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 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $235 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 45% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $100 in Kukes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $773 in Kukes versus $1,266 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 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.