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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $910 in Strumica, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,275 in Strumica, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,640 in Strumica, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 43% more than Strumica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Strumica are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Strumica 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.68 MKD 194

225.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$805

$23.33 MKD 1,233

103.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$200

$3.84 MKD 203

205.99%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.1

$1.60 MKD 84.4

157.50%

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

$1.40 MX$23.78

$1.43 MKD 75.6

-2.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.50

$1.21 MKD 63.9

-24.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.5

$1.95 MKD 103

64.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.05 MKD 109

244.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.49

$1.29 MKD 67.9

30.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.53

$0.82 MKD 43.56

162.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.14

$1.81 MKD 95.9

-2.21%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.83

$2.31 MKD 122

22.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.61 MKD 455

6.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.32 MKD 334

46.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$215

$10.37 MKD 548

21.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$0.69 MKD 36.57

327.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.83

$1.48 MKD 78.2

6.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.76

$1.25 MKD 66.2

77.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.15

$2.14 MKD 113

10.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.86

$0.87 MKD 45.71

128.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.63

$0.84 MKD 44.32

135.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.07

$0.65 MKD 34.12

90.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.58

$0.62 MKD 32.97

95.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.2

$2.80 MKD 148

64.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$179

$5.75 MKD 304

82.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.74

$0.94 MKD 49.52

79.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.13

$1.25 MKD 66.2

121.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.24

$0.78 MKD 41.44

-23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$505

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$89.0

$1.11 MKD 58.5

372.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$62.0

$0.65 MKD 34.15

461.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.3

$8.07 MKD 426

-28.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.13

$1.60 MKD 84.3

-3.75%

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

$22.8K MX$387.4K

$36.6K MKD 1.9M

-37.76%

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

$25.8K MX$438.5K

$28.6K MKD 1.5M

-9.86%

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

$90.7 MX$1,540

$154 MKD 8,154

-41.25%

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

$25.19 MX$428

$13.20 MKD 697

90.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$18.60 MKD 983

70.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,169

$20.43 MKD 1,079

236.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$499

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.6

$7.07 MKD 374

-31.26%

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

$226 MX$3,834

$383 MKD 20.2K

-41.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.2K

$5,508 MKD 291.0K

-23.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$805

$91.7 MKD 4,842

-48.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$738

$39.33 MKD 2,078

10.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,363

$110 MKD 5,810

-27.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,552

$95.1 MKD 5,024

-3.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$323 MKD 17.0K

236.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,943

$239 MKD 12.7K

70.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$506 MKD 26.7K

289.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.8K

$296 MKD 15.6K

332.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.7K

$1,535 MKD 81.1K

163.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.9K

$1,008 MKD 53.3K

565.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$653 MKD 34.5K

18.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

186.25%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Strumica: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $323 in Strumica. 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 18% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Strumica. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $187 – making Strumica 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 Strumica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 43%, 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 $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,366 in Strumica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Strumica, 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $910 in Strumica. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $383 in Strumica. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Strumica, where all-in costs run around $910, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Strumica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Strumica – 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 Strumica. 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.