Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Resen

For one person, living is cheaper in Resen: $957 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Resen
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Resen Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Resen

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$957

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $957 in Resen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Resen $957

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,461 in Resen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Resen $1,461

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,965 in Resen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Resen $1,965

Playa del Carmen costs about 26% more than Resen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Resen are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Resen 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$9.39 MKD 514

16.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$805

$35.01 MKD 1,914

23.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$6.64 MKD 363

77.41%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$70.7

$2.08 MKD 114

83.17%

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

$1.28 MX$23.81

$1.79 MKD 97.9

-28.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.54

$1.32 MKD 71.9

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$58.8

$2.66 MKD 145

19.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.7

$2.70 MKD 148

82.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.12

$1.24 MKD 67.5

13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.17

$0.78 MKD 42.69

184.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.32

$1.77 MKD 96.6

-19.77%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$46.85

$2.49 MKD 136

1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$8.20 MKD 448

-11.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$7.44 MKD 407

3.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$15.01 MKD 821

-15.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.7

$1.44 MKD 78.6

93.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.41

$1.45 MKD 79.4

-5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.37

$1.32 MKD 72.3

93.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.43

$1.94 MKD 106

9.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.00

$0.90 MKD 48.96

115.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.02

$0.84 MKD 46.03

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.29

$0.64 MKD 34.99

79.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.89

$0.58 MKD 31.72

103.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.8

$3.44 MKD 188

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$7.18 MKD 393

38.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.41

$1.07 MKD 58.3

47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.60

$1.44 MKD 78.6

85.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.28

$0.82 MKD 44.61

-32.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$494

$22.03 MKD 1,204

20.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.3

$1.11 MKD 60.7

347.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$61.9

$0.61 MKD 33.25

445.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.5

$7.37 MKD 403

-27.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.82

$1.57 MKD 85.8

-8.28%

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

$20.7K MX$383.8K

$33.8K MKD 1.8M

-38.77%

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

$23.5K MX$435.8K

$26.0K MKD 1.4M

-9.72%

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

$84.8 MX$1,575

$156 MKD 8,525

-45.62%

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

$23.41 MX$435

$18.53 MKD 1,013

26.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$532

$19.21 MKD 1,051

49.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,059

$21.89 MKD 1,197

160.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$537

$19.28 MKD 1,054

49.95%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.4

$7.13 MKD 390

-27.91%

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

$207 MX$3,836

$365 MKD 20.0K

-43.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$72.9K

$5,684 MKD 310.8K

-30.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$805

$85.6 MKD 4,682

-49.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$770

$36.23 MKD 1,981

14.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,378

$102 MKD 5,598

-27.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,657

$113 MKD 6,166

-20.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$313 MKD 17.1K

212.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,072

$183 MKD 10.0K

107.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.7K

$511 MKD 27.9K

234.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$287 MKD 15.7K

274.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.2K

$1,481 MKD 81.0K

166.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.4K

$1,245 MKD 68.1K

394.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.23

170.69%

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 Resen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Resen

$183 19.2% 51.8% $197

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Resen

$211 22.1% 17% $43

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Resen

$151 15.8% 25.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Resen

$194 20.2% 41.5% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Resen

$152 15.9% 35.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Resen

$36 3.8% 46.3% $31

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Resen

$29 3.1% 41.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $313 in Resen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $35 in Resen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $211 – making Resen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇰 Resen

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

03:49 3:49 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

8,700

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 EUR

100 MKD = 1.83 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 54.68 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.29 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Resen 9,930 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

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Playa del Carmen
Resen

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 Resen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,435 in Resen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Resen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $313 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $957 in Resen. That makes Resen about 21% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Resen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $957 in Resen to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Resen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 21% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.