Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Szczecin

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,397 in Szczecin, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Szczecin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Szczecin, Poland
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Szczecin
🇵🇱 Poland
$1,397
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,397 in Szczecin, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Szczecin $1,397

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,080 in Szczecin, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Szczecin $2,080

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,763 in Szczecin, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Szczecin $2,763

Playa del Carmen is about 14% cheaper than Szczecin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Szczecin is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Szczecin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$9.13 zł 35.99
19.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
$46.47 zł 183
-6.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$8.52 zł 33.59
38.26%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
$2.85 zł 11.23
33.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
$1.85 zł 7.30
-30.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
$1.40 zł 5.53
-44.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
$3.01 zł 11.87
5.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
$3.01 zł 11.89
63.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Szczecin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$0.87 zł 3.42
62.07%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
$1.29 zł 5.10
72.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$1.05 zł 4.14
35.24%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$3.21 zł 12.65
-21.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$9.15 zł 36.08
-20.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$6.37 zł 25.10
20.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$12.80 zł 50.5
-0.86%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$0.96 zł 3.78
189.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
$1.62 zł 6.40
-15.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
$1.58 zł 6.23
61.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
$2.30 zł 9.08
-7.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
$0.86 zł 3.38
125.58%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$1.03 zł 4.08
83.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
$1.11 zł 4.37
3.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$0.56 zł 2.20
110.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
$5.18 zł 20.43
-16.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
$6.32 zł 24.92
57.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
$1.07 zł 4.24
47.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$1.46 zł 5.74
82.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Szczecin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
$0.73 zł 2.88
-24.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
$24.87 zł 98.1
7.04%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
$2.01 zł 7.94
147.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
$0.92 zł 3.63
261.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
$12.66 zł 49.91
-57.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
$1.65 zł 6.52
-12.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
$30.6K zł 120.7K
-32.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
$28.6K zł 112.8K
-17.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Szczecin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
$237 zł 934
-64.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$11.99 zł 47.29
95.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
$18.74 zł 73.9
52.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Szczecin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
$34.52 zł 136
65.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
$49.10 zł 194
-41.12%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
$7.50 zł 29.56
-31.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Szczecin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
$359 zł 1,417
-42.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
$7,743 zł 30.5K
-49.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Szczecin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
$67.8 zł 267
-36.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
$34.22 zł 135
21.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
$78.4 zł 309
-5.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
$91.4 zł 360
-2.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Szczecin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$659 zł 2,600
48.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
$551 zł 2,174
-30.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
$1,247 zł 4,919
36.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
$945 zł 3,727
13.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
$3,380 zł 13.3K
16.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
$2,491 zł 9,823
147.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Szczecin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$1,570 zł 6,190
-53.21%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.82
67.89%

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 Szczecin: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Szczecin
$551 44.8% $170
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Szczecin
$205 19.4% $49
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Szczecin
$167 17.6% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Szczecin
$268 95.5% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Szczecin
$122 9.5% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Szczecin
$50 26.4% $18
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Szczecin
$34 31.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $659 in Szczecin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Szczecin are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $46 in Szczecin. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $205 in Szczecin – so Szczecin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇵🇱 Szczecin
🕒 Local time
15:17 3:17 PM
21:17 9:17 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
387,700
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PLN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Polish Złoty exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.94 PLN (1 PLN = 0.254 USD). 1 EUR = 4.42 PLN (1 PLN = 0.226 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Szczecin 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Szczecin

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 Szczecin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Szczecin?
Yes – Szczecin is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,096 in Szczecin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Szczecin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $659 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Szczecin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,397 in Szczecin. That makes Playa del Carmen about 14% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 7% less in Szczecin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Szczecin?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,397 in Szczecin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Szczecin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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