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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $899 per month in Resen vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,368 per month in Resen vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,836 per month in Resen vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Resen is about 31% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Resen and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Resen 33% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.67 MKD 299

$11.73 MX$203

-51.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 MKD 1,752

$41.62 MX$720

-20.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 MKD 342

$10.64 MX$184

-39.00%

Cappuccino

$2.22 MKD 117

$3.52 MX$60.9

-36.93%

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

$2.00 MKD 105

$1.51 MX$26.12

32.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 MKD 68.1

$0.97 MX$16.84

32.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MKD 136

$2.95 MX$51.0

-12.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 MKD 142

$4.45 MX$77.0

-39.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MKD 69.9

$1.38 MX$23.93

-3.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 MKD 35.88

$1.89 MX$32.72

-64.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MKD 89.1

$1.64 MX$28.32

3.05%

Eggs

$2.04 MKD 108

$2.51 MX$43.34

-18.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 MKD 483

$8.34 MX$144

9.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.18 MKD 378

$8.34 MX$144

-13.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.65 MKD 719

$10.73 MX$186

27.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.07 MKD 56.3

$2.60 MX$45.04

-58.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MKD 74.7

$1.46 MX$25.20

-2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 MKD 68.5

$1.90 MX$32.87

-31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MKD 83.0

$2.08 MX$35.91

-24.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 MKD 42.70

$1.78 MX$30.71

-54.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 MKD 49.47

$2.19 MX$37.80

-57.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 MKD 28.57

$1.04 MX$17.99

-48.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MKD 30.30

$1.08 MX$18.62

-47.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 MKD 154

$4.08 MX$70.6

-28.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.70 MKD 406

$10.32 MX$178

-25.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 53.1

$1.71 MX$29.61

-40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 MKD 82.9

$2.58 MX$44.54

-39.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MKD 33.37

$0.51 MX$8.81

23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.89 MKD 1,048

$26.46 MX$458

-24.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 MKD 47.79

$3.26 MX$56.4

-72.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 MKD 26.19

$2.49 MX$43.09

-79.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 MKD 348

$3.25 MX$56.2

103.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MKD 77.7

$1.31 MX$22.61

12.21%

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

$32.4K MKD 1.7M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

7.03%

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

$29.5K MKD 1.6M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

25.83%

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

$145 MKD 7,647

$82.9 MX$1,433

75.09%

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

$17.90 MKD 943

$22.22 MX$384

-19.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.24 MKD 803

$29.34 MX$507

-48.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.56 MKD 1,400

$51.6 MX$893

-48.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 MKD 250

$5.07 MX$87.6

-6.51%

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

$218 MKD 11.5K

$201 MX$3,473

8.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,216 MKD 64.1K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-76.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.8 MKD 3,996

$36.92 MX$639

105.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.74 MKD 2,094

$39.79 MX$688

-0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 MKD 3,928

$78.5 MX$1,357

-4.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 MKD 5,914

$87.1 MX$1,506

28.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 MKD 15.1K

$973 MX$16.8K

-70.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 MKD 10.4K

$468 MX$8,090

-57.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 MKD 29.3K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-66.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 MKD 16.5K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-74.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,627 MKD 85.8K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-58.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,116 MKD 58.8K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-82.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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 Resen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $286 in Resen versus $973 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Resen versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $203 vs $249 – making Resen 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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 44%, 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 $1,349 per month in Resen and $1,945 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 Resen, 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 $899 in Resen and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Resen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Resen, where all-in costs run around $899, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Resen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Resen – 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 Resen. 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.