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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $556 in Narok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $923 in Narok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,289 in Narok.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 128% more expensive than Narok, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Narok 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.50 KES 713

115.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$39.33 KES 5,099

9.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.00 KES 907

52.14%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.37 KES 307

45.57%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.75 KES 97.0

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.53 KES 68.7

79.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.29 KES 298

32.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.84 KES 369

62.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.94 KES 122

46.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.54 KES 69.7

242.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.58 KES 205

1.90%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.63 KES 212

58.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.74 KES 1,523

-29.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.77 KES 878

23.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$5.67 KES 735

88.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$3.01 KES 391

-12.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.07 KES 139

39.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.17 KES 281

-11.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.01 KES 132

106.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.04 KES 134

78.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.16 KES 151

94.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.69 KES 89.4

53.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.74 KES 96.4

47.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.17 KES 411

30.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.79 KES 880

53.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.18 KES 283

-21.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.79 KES 362

-6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.59 KES 206

-66.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$46.99 KES 6,093

-42.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.57 KES 204

99.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.51 KES 196

66.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.91 KES 377

8.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.40 KES 182

-9.29%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.9K KES 2.8M

38.47%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$19.8K KES 2.6M

19.12%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$33.95 KES 4,402

144.48%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$16.70 KES 2,166

35.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$38.72 KES 5,020

-23.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.23 KES 807

-20.87%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$207 KES 26.8K

-4.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,192 KES 1.1M

-35.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$18.26 KES 2,368

102.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$24.26 KES 3,146

64.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$64.1 KES 8,312

24.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$56.3 KES 7,293

59.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,556 KES 201.8K

151.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,175 KES 152.4K

449.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$309 KES 40.0K

116.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.84

-23.05%

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 Narok: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Playa del Carmen pays 116% 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 $39.00 in Narok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $196 per month, with Narok 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 Narok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Narok differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $556 including rent). Narok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 116% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $207 in Narok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $556 in Narok versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Narok but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Narok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Narok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.