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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $759 per month in Prilep vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,145 per month in Prilep vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,531 per month in Prilep vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Prilep is about 40% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Prilep and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Prilep 44% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.15 MKD 220

$11.87 MX$204

-65.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.80 MKD 1,475

$42.90 MX$736

-35.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 MKD 307

$10.65 MX$183

-45.63%

Cappuccino

$1.53 MKD 81.4

$3.45 MX$59.2

-55.65%

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

$1.66 MKD 88.1

$1.50 MX$25.81

10.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MKD 65.1

$0.95 MX$16.28

29.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.57 MKD 83.2

$3.03 MX$51.9

-48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 MKD 108

$4.61 MX$79.1

-55.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 MKD 65.3

$1.38 MX$23.61

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$0.71 MKD 37.88

$1.85 MX$31.70

-61.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MKD 84.7

$1.61 MX$27.65

-0.62%

Eggs

$2.13 MKD 113

$2.59 MX$44.51

-17.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.96 MKD 369

$8.26 MX$142

-15.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 MKD 308

$8.37 MX$144

-30.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.91 MKD 526

$10.66 MX$183

-7.04%

Apples (1kg)

$0.93 MKD 49.26

$2.63 MX$45.12

-64.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 75.8

$1.49 MX$25.53

-4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 MKD 53.4

$1.92 MX$32.94

-47.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 MKD 81.6

$2.09 MX$35.81

-26.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 MKD 42.90

$1.86 MX$31.88

-56.45%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 MKD 49.68

$2.26 MX$38.81

-58.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 MKD 32.66

$1.06 MX$18.23

-41.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 MKD 23.44

$1.09 MX$18.67

-59.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 MKD 161

$4.15 MX$71.2

-26.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.71 MKD 250

$10.39 MX$178

-54.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 MKD 51.0

$1.72 MX$29.59

-44.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 MKD 62.8

$2.61 MX$44.85

-54.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MKD 21.15

$0.54 MX$9.30

-25.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.45 MKD 979

$26.94 MX$462

-31.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 MKD 50.8

$3.13 MX$53.7

-69.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MKD 26.44

$2.51 MX$43.09

-80.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.50 MKD 345

$3.15 MX$54.1

106.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MKD 80.2

$1.27 MX$21.88

18.90%

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

$33.2K MKD 1.8M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

9.31%

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

$30.1K MKD 1.6M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

27.65%

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

$129 MKD 6,823

$83.0 MX$1,425

54.93%

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

$17.62 MKD 935

$22.71 MX$390

-22.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.31 MKD 760

$29.46 MX$506

-51.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.83 MKD 893

$51.0 MX$875

-67.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.79 MKD 307

$18.33 MX$315

-68.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.30 MKD 281

$4.93 MX$84.5

7.51%

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

$284 MKD 15.1K

$197 MX$3,386

44.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,179 MKD 62.6K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-77.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.69 MKD 2,212

$36.90 MX$633

12.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.38 MKD 1,983

$39.89 MX$685

-6.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 MKD 3,946

$80.0 MX$1,373

-7.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 MKD 4,979

$89.5 MX$1,536

4.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$237 MKD 12.6K

$956 MX$16.4K

-75.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 MKD 9,229

$477 MX$8,189

-63.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MKD 27.1K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-68.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$285 MKD 15.1K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-76.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,059 MKD 56.2K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-72.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$833 MKD 44.2K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-87.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$607 MKD 32.2K

$667 MX$11.4K

-8.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

11.42

-60.25%

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

Last update for Prilep: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $237 in Prilep versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. 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 10% 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 $28.00 in Prilep versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $168 vs $250 – making Prilep 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

Prilep vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 67%, 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 $1,138 per month in Prilep and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Prilep, 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 $759 in Prilep and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Prilep. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Prilep, where all-in costs run around $759, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Prilep it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Prilep – 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 Prilep. 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.