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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $438 in Nawabshah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $635 in Nawabshah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $831 in Nawabshah.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 187% more expensive than in Nawabshah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Nawabshah 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$2.08 PKR 579

474.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$730

$12.43 PKR 3,450

237.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$181

$4.07 PKR 1,129

156.02%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 PKR 531

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 PKR 1,437

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.2

$1.82 PKR 506

92.86%

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

$1.52 MX$26.39

$0.36 PKR 100

322.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$0.21 PKR 58.2

333.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.1

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$0.70 PKR 194

102.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.87

$0.33 PKR 92.7

454.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.45

$1.17 PKR 325

39.32%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.20

$0.99 PKR 274

156.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$6.34 PKR 1,759

35.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$2.19 PKR 607

287.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$3.62 PKR 1,005

198.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.94

$1.09 PKR 302

152.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.00

$0.46 PKR 128

213.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.83

$0.75 PKR 207

152.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.77

$0.28 PKR 78.5

675.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.97

$0.28 PKR 78.3

535.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.71

$0.51 PKR 142

335.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.60

$0.36 PKR 99.7

197.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.79

$0.40 PKR 112

170.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.29 PKR 359

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 PKR 355

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 PKR 596

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.2

$1.66 PKR 461

150.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.34

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.94

$0.17 PKR 46.80

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$451

$7.11 PKR 1,974

264.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$55.9

$0.72 PKR 201

345.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.55

$0.65 PKR 181

284.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.4

$1.75 PKR 487

82.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.87

$0.87 PKR 243

44.83%

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

$29.7K MX$516.6K

$16.7K PKR 4.6M

77.59%

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

$23.7K MX$412.1K

$24.7K PKR 6.9M

-4.05%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$133 PKR 36.9K

-38.23%

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

$22.73 MX$395

$5.01 PKR 1,390

353.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$512

$13.54 PKR 3,760

117.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$908

$12.16 PKR 3,377

329.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

$5.89 PKR 1,636

213.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$85.9

$4.33 PKR 1,201

13.86%

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

$202 MX$3,511

$57.0 PKR 15.8K

253.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$90.8K

$1,354 PKR 375.8K

285.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$625

$17.68 PKR 4,909

103.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$25.48 PKR 7,074

58.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$63.7 PKR 17.7K

25.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,554

$35.63 PKR 9,891

150.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$75.1 PKR 20.9K

1162.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,097

$52.7 PKR 14.6K

783.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$169 PKR 46.8K

865.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$108 PKR 30.0K

1003.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.4K

$852 PKR 236.4K

361.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

$510 PKR 141.6K

1160.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$128 PKR 35.4K

415.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

17.8

-35.84%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Nawabshah: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $75.1 in Nawabshah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 416% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $12.00 in Nawabshah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $80.0 per month, with Nawabshah 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 Nawabshah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nawabshah wins on cost – living expenses run 187% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nawabshah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 416% 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $75.1 in Nawabshah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 214% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Nawabshah – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $438 in Nawabshah versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nawabshah but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Nawabshah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Nawabshah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $438 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nawabshah hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Nawabshah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.