Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Stara Zagora

For one person, living is cheaper in Stara Zagora: $908 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Stara Zagora
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Stara Zagora Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Stara Zagora

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$908

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Stara Zagora

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $908 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Stara Zagora $908

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,415 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Stara Zagora $1,415

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,921 in Stara Zagora, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Stara Zagora $1,921

Playa del Carmen costs about 33% more than Stara Zagora, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Stara Zagora are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Stara Zagora 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$10.38 BGN 18.16

5.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$51.7 BGN 90.5

-16.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$9.15 BGN 16.02

28.74%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$2.34 BGN 4.09

62.82%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$1.50 BGN 2.62

-14.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.87 BGN 1.52

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$2.21 BGN 3.87

43.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.03 BGN 3.56

142.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.73 BGN 3.02

-18.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.86 BGN 1.51

158.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.45 BGN 2.54

-2.07%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.36 BGN 4.12

6.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$9.38 BGN 16.42

-22.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$6.39 BGN 11.18

20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$8.59 BGN 15.03

47.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.25 BGN 2.19

122.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.70 BGN 2.98

-19.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$1.76 BGN 3.08

44.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$1.93 BGN 3.38

9.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$1.00 BGN 1.74

94.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.72 BGN 1.26

162.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.55 BGN 0.97

109.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$0.63 BGN 1.10

87.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$3.64 BGN 6.38

18.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$5.25 BGN 9.18

89.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.09 BGN 1.91

44.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$1.73 BGN 3.03

54.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.85 BGN 1.49

-35.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$20.45 BGN 35.79

30.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$1.29 BGN 2.26

285.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$0.64 BGN 1.13

420.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$11.40 BGN 19.95

-52.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.57 BGN 2.75

-8.28%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$29.7K BGN 52.0K

-30.49%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$23.5K BGN 41.1K

-0.04%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$91.4 BGN 160

-7.19%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$14.59 BGN 25.53

60.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$12.26 BGN 21.46

133.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$33.21 BGN 58.1

71.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$21.06 BGN 36.86

37.27%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$8.89 BGN 15.55

-42.18%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$227 BGN 398

-9.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$2,270 BGN 3,972

73.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$30.35 BGN 53.1

42.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$19.39 BGN 33.93

113.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$64.0 BGN 112

15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$51.9 BGN 90.8

72.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$330 BGN 577

197.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$279 BGN 489

36.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$498 BGN 871

243.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$399 BGN 699

169.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,506 BGN 2,635

161.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,109 BGN 1,941

455.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$1,067 BGN 1,867

-31.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

2.99

282.94%

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 Stara Zagora: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Stara Zagora

$279 30.8% 26.7% $102

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Stara Zagora

$194 21.3% 24% $61

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Stara Zagora

$163 18% 19.4% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Stara Zagora

$118 13% 13.6% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Stara Zagora

$75 8.2% 33.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Stara Zagora

$51 5.6% 24.3% $16

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Stara Zagora

$28 3.1% 43.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $330 in Stara Zagora. 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 45% higher in Stara Zagora, 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 $52 in Stara Zagora. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $194 in Stara Zagora – so Stara Zagora wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇬 Stara Zagora

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

09:07 9:07 AM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

149,266

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 BGN = 0.571 USD

1 BGN = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.75 BGN (1 BGN = 0.571 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BGN (1 BGN = 0.512 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Stara Zagora 10,190 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Stara Zagora

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 Stara Zagora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,362 in Stara Zagora. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stara Zagora, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $330 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $908 in Stara Zagora. That makes Stara Zagora about 25% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Stara Zagora. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Stara Zagora, where all-in costs run around $908, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Stara Zagora it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $908 in Stara Zagora to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.