Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Nis

For one person, living is cheaper in Nis: $1,029 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Nis
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Nis Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Nis

🇷🇸 Serbia

$1,029

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Nis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,029 in Nis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Nis $1,029

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,526 in Nis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Nis $1,526

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,022 in Nis, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Nis $2,022

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than Nis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Nis are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Nis 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$8.71 RSD 912

25.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$33.20 RSD 3,477

30.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$9.73 RSD 1,019

21.07%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$1.93 RSD 202

97.41%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$2.28 RSD 239

-43.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$1.80 RSD 189

-56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.71 RSD 389

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$4.36 RSD 456

13.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.08 RSD 114

30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$0.72 RSD 75.7

208.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.68 RSD 176

-15.48%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$2.32 RSD 243

8.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$7.41 RSD 776

-2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$5.77 RSD 604

33.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$10.97 RSD 1,149

15.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.08 RSD 114

157.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.70 RSD 178

-19.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$1.42 RSD 149

79.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$2.07 RSD 216

2.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$0.79 RSD 82.6

145.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$0.74 RSD 77.1

155.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$0.64 RSD 67.5

79.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.57 RSD 59.9

107.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$4.46 RSD 467

-3.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$5.58 RSD 585

78.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$0.69 RSD 71.8

128.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.36 RSD 142

96.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$1.86 RSD 194

167.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.69 RSD 71.9

382.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$8.28 RSD 867

-35.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.86 RSD 195

-22.58%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$30.6K RSD 3.2M

-32.39%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$23.2K RSD 2.4M

1.05%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$156 RSD 16.4K

-45.79%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$19.16 RSD 2,007

22.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$22.67 RSD 2,375

26.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$29.61 RSD 3,102

92.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$15.29 RSD 1,602

89.08%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$4.62 RSD 484

11.26%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$247 RSD 25.9K

-16.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$4,809 RSD 503.7K

-18.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$86.5 RSD 9,061

-49.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$39.99 RSD 4,189

3.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$100 RSD 10.5K

-25.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$109 RSD 11.4K

-18.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$418 RSD 43.8K

134.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$290 RSD 30.4K

31.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$626 RSD 65.6K

172.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$450 RSD 47.1K

138.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$2,650 RSD 277.6K

48.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$1,862 RSD 195.1K

230.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$922 RSD 96.6K

-20.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.11

124.07%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Nis

$290 28.2% 23.8% $91

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Nis

$180 17.5% 29.2% $74

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Nis

$166 16.1% 18.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Nis

$198 19.3% 44.9% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Nis

$151 14.7% 35.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Nis

$39 3.8% 42.3% $28

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Nis

$5.3 * 0.5% 89.5% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $418 in Nis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Nis, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $33 in Nis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $180 – making Nis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇷🇸 Nis

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

13:33 1:33 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

78,470

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Serbian Dinar RSD din

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD

1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RSD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Serbian Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 105 RSD (1,000 RSD = 9.55 USD). 1 EUR = 117 RSD (1,000 RSD = 8.55 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Nis 9,880 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

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Playa del Carmen
Nis

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 Nis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than Nis, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,544 in Nis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,029 in Nis. That makes Nis about 15% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $247 in Nis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,029 in Nis. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,029 in Nis to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.