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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $759 in Prilep, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,145 in Prilep, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,531 in Prilep, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 67% more than Prilep, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Prilep are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Prilep 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.15 MKD 220

186.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$27.80 MKD 1,475

54.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.79 MKD 307

83.94%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.53 MKD 81.4

125.49%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.66 MKD 88.1

-9.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$1.23 MKD 65.1

-22.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.57 MKD 83.2

92.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.04 MKD 108

125.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.23 MKD 65.3

12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.71 MKD 37.88

160.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.60 MKD 84.7

0.63%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.13 MKD 113

21.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.96 MKD 369

18.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.80 MKD 308

44.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.91 MKD 526

7.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$0.93 MKD 49.26

182.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.43 MKD 75.8

4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.01 MKD 53.4

90.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.54 MKD 81.6

35.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.81 MKD 42.90

129.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.94 MKD 49.68

140.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.62 MKD 32.66

70.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.44 MKD 23.44

147.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.03 MKD 161

36.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$4.71 MKD 250

120.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.96 MKD 51.0

79.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.18 MKD 62.8

121.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.40 MKD 21.15

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$18.45 MKD 979

46.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.96 MKD 50.8

226.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.50 MKD 26.44

402.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.50 MKD 345

-51.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.51 MKD 80.2

-15.89%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$33.2K MKD 1.8M

-8.52%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$30.1K MKD 1.6M

-21.66%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$129 MKD 6,823

-35.45%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$17.62 MKD 935

28.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$14.31 MKD 760

105.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$16.83 MKD 893

203.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$5.79 MKD 307

216.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.30 MKD 281

-6.98%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$284 MKD 15.1K

-30.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,179 MKD 62.6K

347.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$41.69 MKD 2,212

-11.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$37.38 MKD 1,983

6.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$74.4 MKD 3,946

7.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$93.8 MKD 4,979

-4.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$237 MKD 12.6K

303.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$174 MKD 9,229

174.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$511 MKD 27.1K

221.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$285 MKD 15.1K

329.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,059 MKD 56.2K

269.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$833 MKD 44.2K

675.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$607 MKD 32.2K

9.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.54

151.54%

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 Prilep: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $237 in Prilep. 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 10% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Prilep. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $168 – making Prilep the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Prilep: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 67%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,138 in Prilep. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Prilep, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $759 in Prilep. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Prilep. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Prilep, where all-in costs run around $759, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Prilep it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Prilep – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Prilep. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.