Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Stip

For one person, living is cheaper in Stip: $809 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Stip
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Stip Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Stip

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$809

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $809 in Stip, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Stip $809

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,210 in Stip, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Stip $1,210

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,611 in Stip, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Stip $1,611

Playa del Carmen costs about 49% more than Stip, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Stip are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Stip 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$7.45 MKD 410

46.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$23.08 MKD 1,270

87.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$6.30 MKD 347

86.98%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.81 MKD 99.3

110.50%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$1.43 MKD 78.7

-10.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$1.07 MKD 58.8

-27.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.84 MKD 101

72.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$2.75 MKD 151

79.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.27 MKD 70.1

11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$0.74 MKD 40.87

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$1.11 MKD 61.1

27.93%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$2.52 MKD 139

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$7.96 MKD 438

-8.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$7.26 MKD 399

6.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$7.21 MKD 397

76.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$0.90 MKD 49.31

208.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.45 MKD 79.6

-5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$1.32 MKD 72.7

93.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$1.60 MKD 87.8

32.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$0.88 MKD 48.68

120.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$0.80 MKD 43.97

136.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$0.56 MKD 30.98

105.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.42 MKD 23.11

180.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$3.25 MKD 179

32.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$7.42 MKD 409

34.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$1.03 MKD 56.8

53.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$1.49 MKD 81.9

79.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.67 MKD 36.88

-17.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$23.98 MKD 1,319

11.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$1.08 MKD 59.3

360.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.58 MKD 31.74

474.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$5.54 MKD 305

-3.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$1.53 MKD 84.2

-5.88%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$33.1K MKD 1.8M

-37.63%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$26.0K MKD 1.4M

-9.65%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$158 MKD 8,680

-46.26%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$8.95 MKD 492

161.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$16.29 MKD 896

75.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$27.01 MKD 1,486

111.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$17.36 MKD 955

66.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$6.50 MKD 358

-20.92%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$357 MKD 19.6K

-42.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$5,645 MKD 310.6K

-30.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$35.74 MKD 1,966

21.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$30.66 MKD 1,687

35.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$101 MKD 5,556

-26.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$113 MKD 6,203

-20.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$201 MKD 11.1K

386.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$127 MKD 6,989

199.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$331 MKD 18.2K

415.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$201 MKD 11.0K

435.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,210 MKD 66.6K

225.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

$976 MKD 53.7K

530.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$463 MKD 25.5K

58.48%

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 Stip: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Stip

$127 15.7% 66.6% $254

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Stip

$177 21.9% 30.3% $77

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Stip

$125 15.4% 38.3% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Stip

$183 22.6% 33.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Stip

$126 15.6% 12.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Stip

$40 5% 40.6% $27

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Stip

$31 3.8% 39.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $201 in Stip. 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 58% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $23 in Stip. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $177 – making Stip the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇰 Stip

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

03:51 3:51 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

65,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.02 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.25 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Stip 9,980 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Stip

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 Stip: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 49%, 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 $1,214 in Stip. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Stip, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $201 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $809 in Stip. That makes Stip about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Stip. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Stip, where all-in costs run around $809, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Stip 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 $809 in Stip to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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