Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Naousa

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,473 in Naousa, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Naousa
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,473
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Naousa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Naousa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,473 in Naousa.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Naousa $1,473

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,214 in Naousa.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Naousa $2,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,955 in Naousa.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Naousa $2,955

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 18% less than in Naousa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 10% below, Naousa is 9% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Naousa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$198
$15.20 €13.56
-29.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$794
$54.3 €48.41
-20.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$217
$9.00 €8.03
31.00%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.3
$3.71 €3.31
4.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.24
$2.34 €2.09
-41.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.41
$0.58 €0.51
44.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.2
$5.17 €4.61
-40.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.4
$5.76 €5.14
-11.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Naousa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.49
$1.54 €1.37
-6.49%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.15
$1.45 €1.29
53.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.12
$2.65 €2.36
-44.53%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.62
$4.63 €4.13
-45.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$13.25 €11.81
-44.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$9.63 €8.58
-18.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$14.26 €12.71
-10.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.5
$2.22 €1.98
30.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.48
$2.09 €1.87
-31.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$46.98
$1.38 €1.23
84.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$37.95
$2.01 €1.79
2.49%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.90
$1.12 €1.00
78.57%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$36.99
$1.16 €1.04
73.28%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$21.97
$1.07 €0.95
11.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.18
$0.88 €0.78
43.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.2
$5.44 €4.85
-19.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$7.01 €6.25
36.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.35
$2.01 €1.79
-20.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.8
$2.56 €2.29
9.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Naousa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.44
$1.32 €1.18
-56.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$513
$49.44 €44.08
-43.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$91.9
$4.25 €3.79
17.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.5
$1.18 €1.05
196.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.6
$14.55 €12.97
-62.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.02
$2.20 €1.96
-33.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.0K
$27.5K €24.5K
-23.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$440.9K
$21.7K €19.4K
10.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Naousa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,553
$207 €184
-59.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$442
$24.59 €21.93
-2.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$535
$30.69 €27.37
-5.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Naousa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,162
$51.2 €45.63
23.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$537
$22.25 €19.84
30.97%
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.2
$8.69 €7.75
-43.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Naousa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,755
$410 €366
-50.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.7K
$8,214 €7,323
-52.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Naousa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$804
$89.2 €79.5
-51.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$795
$34.12 €30.42
26.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,397
$87.2 €77.7
-13.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,634
$137 €122
-35.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Naousa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
$479 €427
110.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,898
$400 €357
-6.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.5K
$746 €665
128.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
$615 €548
79.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.7K
$2,933 €2,615
34.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$113.8K
$2,314 €2,063
166.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Naousa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
$963 €859
-21.70%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4.46
156.73%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Naousa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Naousa
$400 7% $26
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Naousa
$279 7.8% $20
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Naousa
$242 19.8% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Naousa
$262 91% $125
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Naousa
$157 38.5% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Naousa
$69 5.9% $4.3
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Naousa
$65 23.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $479 in Naousa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Naousa pays 28% 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 $54.0 in Naousa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $279 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇷 Naousa
🕒 Local time
05:38 5:38 AM
13:38 1:38 PM
8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
19,870
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 18.44 MXN (100 MXN = 5.42 USD). 1 EUR = 20.68 MXN (100 MXN = 4.83 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Naousa 10,030 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Naousa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Naousa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Naousa?
Playa del Carmen and Naousa differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,210 vs $1,473 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Naousa. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Naousa?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $479 in Naousa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Naousa?
Childcare runs $204 in Playa del Carmen versus $410 in Naousa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Naousa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,473 in Naousa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Naousa. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Naousa?
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.
Is Playa del Carmen or Naousa safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Naousa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Playa del Carmen or Naousa?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Naousa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?