Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Tetovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tetovo: $997 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Tetovo
Learn more

Tetovo Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Tetovo

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $997 in Tetovo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Tetovo $997

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,500 in Tetovo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Tetovo $1,500

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,004 in Tetovo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Tetovo $2,004

Playa del Carmen costs about 21% more than Tetovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Tetovo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Tetovo 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$7.37 MKD 406

48.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$27.68 MKD 1,526

56.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$5.69 MKD 313

107.03%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$1.56 MKD 86.0

144.23%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$1.51 MKD 83.1

-15.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$0.92 MKD 50.5

-15.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$2.13 MKD 118

48.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$2.14 MKD 118

130.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.27 MKD 70.0

11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$0.62 MKD 34.30

258.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.31 MKD 72.2

8.40%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$2.08 MKD 115

21.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$7.41 MKD 408

-2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$5.10 MKD 281

50.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$10.31 MKD 569

23.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$1.46 MKD 80.2

90.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.44 MKD 79.6

-4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$0.95 MKD 52.2

168.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.88 MKD 104

12.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$0.84 MKD 46.17

130.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$0.69 MKD 38.31

173.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$0.59 MKD 32.38

94.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.53 MKD 29.32

122.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$3.01 MKD 166

42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$4.49 MKD 248

121.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.05 MKD 58.1

50.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.45 MKD 79.7

84.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.35 MKD 19.10

57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$10.88 MKD 600

144.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$1.10 MKD 60.7

351.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.53 MKD 29.04

528.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$7.37 MKD 406

-27.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.49 MKD 82.0

-3.36%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$34.1K MKD 1.9M

-39.49%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$26.9K MKD 1.5M

-12.66%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$159 MKD 8,739

-46.52%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$17.95 MKD 989

30.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$19.25 MKD 1,061

48.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$69.9 MKD 3,851

-18.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$18.12 MKD 999

59.55%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$5.41 MKD 298

-4.99%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$222 MKD 12.2K

-6.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$2,175 MKD 119.9K

80.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$64.5 MKD 3,556

-32.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$36.99 MKD 2,039

12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$104 MKD 5,722

-28.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$111 MKD 6,108

-19.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$351 MKD 19.3K

179.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$273 MKD 15.1K

39.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$583 MKD 32.1K

192.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$483 MKD 26.6K

122.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,231 MKD 67.9K

220.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$1,104 MKD 60.9K

457.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$861 MKD 47.4K

-14.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.75

205.33%

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 Tetovo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Tetovo

$273 27.4% 28.3% $108

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Tetovo

$170 17.1% 33.2% $85

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Tetovo

$119 12% 41% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Tetovo

$196 19.6% 43% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Tetovo

$142 14.3% 27.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Tetovo

$81 8.1% 19.8% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Tetovo

$16 1.6% 68.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $351 in Tetovo. 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 17% higher in Tetovo, 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 $28 in Tetovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $170 – making Tetovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇰 Tetovo

🕒 Local time

16:52 4:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

53,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 MKD = 1.81 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 55.12 MKD (100 MKD = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.36 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Tetovo 9,880 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Tetovo

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 Tetovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 21%, 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 $1,496 in Tetovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tetovo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $997 in Tetovo. That makes Tetovo about 17% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 59% less in Tetovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $997 in Tetovo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $997 in Tetovo to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Tetovo is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 17% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.