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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $606 in Narok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $912 in Narok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,217 in Narok.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 109% more expensive than in Narok, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Narok 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$2.37 KES 306

389.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$23.12 KES 2,992

103.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$4.65 KES 601

155.48%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$1.92 KES 248

107.29%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$0.41 KES 52.4

248.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.22 KES 28.39

272.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.92 KES 248

66.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.34 KES 302

190.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$0.79 KES 102

112.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.48 KES 61.9

358.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.37 KES 178

24.82%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.26 KES 163

117.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$6.26 KES 810

53.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.14 KES 794

46.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$6.25 KES 809

104.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.11 KES 402

-7.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.03 KES 133

45.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.99 KES 257

8.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$0.80 KES 103

182.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.81 KES 105

144.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.81 KES 105

145.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.69 KES 89.4

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.53 KES 68.1

126.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$1.57 KES 203

189.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$6.93 KES 897

49.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.88 KES 243

-13.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.36 KES 305

22.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.15 KES 148

-47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$39.32 KES 5,088

-26.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.52 KES 197

254.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.37 KES 177

172.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$1.15 KES 149

401.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.38 KES 179

11.59%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$19.0K KES 2.5M

18.43%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$20.1K KES 2.6M

29.49%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$61.5 KES 7,959

48.56%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$7.66 KES 991

228.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$23.13 KES 2,993

35.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$23.42 KES 3,030

186.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$2.31 KES 299

1160.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$7.80 KES 1,009

-37.69%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$57.8 KES 7,473

287.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,656 KES 990.6K

-44.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$15.56 KES 2,014

202.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$15.54 KES 2,011

185.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$22.93 KES 2,967

249.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$38.21 KES 4,945

142.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$230 KES 29.8K

361.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$153 KES 19.8K

155.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$309 KES 40.0K

596.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$234 KES 30.3K

443.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$1,563 KES 202.2K

156.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,155 KES 149.5K

462.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$308 KES 39.9K

145.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-11.92%

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 Narok: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $230 in Narok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 146% 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 Narok for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $166 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 109% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $606 including rent). Narok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 146% 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 $230 in Narok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $57.8 in Narok. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $606 in Narok versus $1,266 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 109% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.