Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Szolnok

For one person, living is cheaper in Szolnok: $1,106 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Szolnok
🇭🇺 Hungary
$1,106
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,106 in Szolnok, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Szolnok $1,106

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,692 in Szolnok, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Szolnok $1,692

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,278 in Szolnok, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Szolnok $2,278

Playa del Carmen costs about 9% more than Szolnok, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Szolnok are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Szolnok 18% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Szolnok
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$9.60 Ft 3,101
12.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$46.62 Ft 15.1K
-7.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$8.00 Ft 2,585
47.37%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$2.30 Ft 741
68.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$2.01 Ft 648
-31.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$1.19 Ft 386
-29.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$2.55 Ft 823
21.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$2.67 Ft 864
89.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Szolnok
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$0.92 Ft 297
56.52%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$1.24 Ft 399
79.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.62 Ft 523
-9.26%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$3.08 Ft 994
-17.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$7.29 Ft 2,356
0.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$6.60 Ft 2,132
19.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$13.28 Ft 4,291
-3.69%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$1.44 Ft 464
101.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$1.74 Ft 562
-17.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$1.52 Ft 492
67.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$2.30 Ft 744
-10.43%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$0.68 Ft 220
194.12%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$0.73 Ft 236
175.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$1.02 Ft 330
16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$0.37 Ft 120
240.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$6.84 Ft 2,211
-35.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$3.62 Ft 1,168
164.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$0.89 Ft 286
78.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$1.30 Ft 420
116.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Szolnok
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
$1.06 Ft 342
-46.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
$26.01 Ft 8,402
6.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$2.82 Ft 912
76.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
$2.24 Ft 724
56.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$14.84 Ft 4,794
-63.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$1.82 Ft 588
-19.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
$27.5K Ft 8.9M
-23.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
$36.6K Ft 11.8M
-34.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Szolnok
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
$128 Ft 41.3K
-34.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
$29.81 Ft 9,631
-19.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
$22.14 Ft 7,152
31.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Szolnok
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
$41.80 Ft 13.5K
50.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
$18.06 Ft 5,835
61.35%
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
$3.37 Ft 1,088
46.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Szolnok
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$151 Ft 48.8K
34.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
$4,944 Ft 1.6M
-20.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Szolnok
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$81.0 Ft 26.2K
-46.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$50.2 Ft 16.2K
-14.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$88.6 Ft 28.6K
-14.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$116 Ft 37.6K
-23.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Szolnok
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
$397 Ft 128.1K
154.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
$327 Ft 105.5K
14.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
$625 Ft 201.9K
173.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
$504 Ft 162.9K
119.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
$2,013 Ft 650.4K
95.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
$1,598 Ft 516.2K
286.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Szolnok
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
$1,059 Ft 342.1K
-28.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
7.69
48.89%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Szolnok: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Szolnok
$327 12.7% $47
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Szolnok
$197 23.9% $62
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Szolnok
$159 21.3% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Szolnok
$180 31.1% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Szolnok
$151 33.9% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Szolnok
$49 33.4% $24
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Szolnok
$44 15.8% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $397 in Szolnok. 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 40% higher in Szolnok, 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $47.00 in Szolnok. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $197 in Szolnok – so Szolnok wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇭🇺 Szolnok
🕒 Local time
21:04 9:04 PM
04:04 4:04 AM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
66,426
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 323 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 363 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Szolnok 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Szolnok

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 Szolnok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Szolnok cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,660 in Szolnok. 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 Szolnok, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Szolnok?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $1,106 in Szolnok. That's a gap of about 9%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 7% less in Szolnok. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Szolnok?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Szolnok, where all-in costs run around $1,106, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Szolnok it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Szolnok more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Szolnok – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Szolnok?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Szolnok. 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.

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