Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Skopje

For one person, living is cheaper in Skopje: $1,112 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Skopje
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Skopje Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Skopje

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,112 in Skopje, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Skopje $1,112

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,657 in Skopje, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Skopje $1,657

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,202 in Skopje, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Skopje $2,202

Playa del Carmen costs about 8% more than Skopje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Skopje are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Skopje 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$9.68 MKD 532

12.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$34.35 MKD 1,889

26.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$6.52 MKD 359

80.67%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$2.14 MKD 118

78.04%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$1.81 MKD 99.6

-29.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$1.38 MKD 75.9

-43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$2.68 MKD 147

18.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$3.03 MKD 167

62.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.28 MKD 70.2

10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$0.74 MKD 40.78

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$1.85 MKD 102

-23.24%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$2.50 MKD 137

0.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$8.11 MKD 446

-10.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$7.36 MKD 405

4.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$15.00 MKD 825

-15.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.43 MKD 78.5

94.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.41 MKD 77.3

-2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$1.31 MKD 72.3

94.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$1.86 MKD 103

13.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$0.88 MKD 48.32

120.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$0.78 MKD 42.75

142.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$0.63 MKD 34.65

82.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$0.59 MKD 32.34

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$3.36 MKD 185

27.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$7.48 MKD 411

33.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.06 MKD 58.4

49.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.50 MKD 82.3

78.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.71 MKD 38.83

-22.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$25.73 MKD 1,415

3.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$1.08 MKD 59.2

360.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$0.57 MKD 31.62

484.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$7.50 MKD 413

-28.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.59 MKD 87.5

-9.43%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$34.3K MKD 1.9M

-39.75%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$26.1K MKD 1.4M

-9.96%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$158 MKD 8,710

-46.45%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$18.80 MKD 1,034

24.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$19.20 MKD 1,056

49.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$37.03 MKD 2,037

54.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$17.35 MKD 954

66.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$7.44 MKD 409

-30.91%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$369 MKD 20.3K

-43.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$5,668 MKD 311.8K

-30.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$85.6 MKD 4,707

-49.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$36.99 MKD 2,035

12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$101 MKD 5,582

-26.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$112 MKD 6,176

-20.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$394 MKD 21.6K

148.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$314 MKD 17.2K

21.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$715 MKD 39.3K

139.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$483 MKD 26.6K

122.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$2,745 MKD 151.0K

43.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$1,844 MKD 101.4K

233.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$876 MKD 48.2K

-16.11%

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 Skopje: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Skopje

$314 28.2% 17.6% $67

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Skopje

$211 19% 17.2% $44

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Skopje

$155 13.9% 23.4% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Skopje

$196 17.7% 43.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Skopje

$151 13.6% 35.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Skopje

$52 4.7% 22.9% $15

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Skopje

$33 2.9% 35.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $394 in Skopje. 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 19% higher in Skopje, 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 $34 in Skopje. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $211 – making Skopje the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇰 Skopje

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

21:19 9:19 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

422,540 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 MKD = 1.82 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.41 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Skopje 9,910 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Skopje

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 Skopje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 8%, 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 $1,667 in Skopje. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Skopje, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $394 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,112 in Skopje. That makes Skopje about 8% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Skopje. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,112 in Skopje. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Skopje costs $1,112 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Skopje is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 8% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.