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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $968 in Kukes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,427 in Kukes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,886 in Kukes.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 31% more expensive than 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

$11.87 MX$204

$9.23 ALL 754

28.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$37.73 ALL 3,083

13.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.92 ALL 566

53.90%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.95 ALL 159

76.92%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.60 ALL 131

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.85 ALL 69.7

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.40 ALL 196

26.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.22 ALL 263

43.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.58 ALL 129

-12.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.86 ALL 70.2

115.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.02 ALL 165

-20.30%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.91 ALL 238

-11.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$9.54 ALL 780

-13.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.94 ALL 567

20.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.36 ALL 683

27.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.19 ALL 97.5

121.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.78 ALL 146

-16.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.97 ALL 79.1

97.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.39 ALL 113

50.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.68 ALL 55.6

173.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.81 ALL 66.1

179.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.90 ALL 73.3

17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.73 ALL 59.9

49.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.49 ALL 285

18.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.11 ALL 581

46.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.90 ALL 73.9

91.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.76 ALL 144

48.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.49 ALL 40.12

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$18.49 ALL 1,511

45.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.55 ALL 290

-11.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$3.15 ALL 258

-20.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.62 ALL 377

-31.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$2.06 ALL 169

-38.35%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$34.5K ALL 2.8M

-11.97%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$25.1K ALL 2.1M

-6.23%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$68.3 ALL 5,577

21.58%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.68 ALL 1,445

28.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$16.01 ALL 1,308

84.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$56.1 ALL 4,583

-9.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$25.19 ALL 2,058

-27.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.56 ALL 291

38.48%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$93.6 ALL 7,647

110.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$34.62 ALL 2,829

6.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$23.66 ALL 1,933

68.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$41.28 ALL 3,373

93.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$49.13 ALL 4,014

82.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$458 ALL 37.4K

108.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$341 ALL 27.9K

39.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$623 ALL 50.9K

164.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$441 ALL 36.0K

177.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,933 ALL 157.9K

102.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,332 ALL 108.8K

384.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$535 ALL 43.7K

24.78%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Kukes: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $458 in Kukes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 25% 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 $38.00 in Kukes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 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 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 25% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $458 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 46% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $93.6 in Kukes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $968 in Kukes versus $1,271 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 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.