Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rijeka and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,588 in Rijeka, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Rijeka
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Rijeka Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Rijeka

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,588

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rijeka and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,588 per month in Rijeka vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rijeka $1,588
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,430 per month in Rijeka vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rijeka $2,430
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,272 per month in Rijeka vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Rijeka $3,272
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Rijeka costs about 32% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Rijeka sits 17% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.58 €12.16

$10.92 MX$205

24.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.9 €64.4

$43.37 MX$814

65.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 €8.91

$11.78 MX$221

-15.53%

Cappuccino

$2.26 €2.02

$3.81 MX$71.5

-40.68%

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

$3.11 €2.79

$1.28 MX$24.07

142.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.68

$0.78 MX$14.70

141.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.75 €3.36

$3.17 MX$59.5

18.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €4.06

$4.93 MX$92.7

-7.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.08

$1.41 MX$26.40

-14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 €1.38

$2.22 MX$41.62

-30.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 €3.08

$1.42 MX$26.61

142.25%

Eggs

$3.65 €3.27

$2.52 MX$47.36

44.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.79 €14.14

$7.26 MX$136

117.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.15 €9.09

$7.70 MX$144

31.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 €12.72

$12.69 MX$238

11.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 €1.47

$2.78 MX$52.3

-41.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.37 MX$25.68

27.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.69

$2.55 MX$47.89

-26.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.29

$2.12 MX$39.86

20.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.94 MX$36.39

-31.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 €1.14

$1.89 MX$35.41

-32.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.15 MX$21.53

18.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.23

$1.18 MX$22.13

16.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.88 €5.27

$4.30 MX$80.6

36.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 €7.01

$9.95 MX$187

-21.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.58 MX$29.73

3.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.87

$2.67 MX$50.1

-21.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 €2.47

$0.55 MX$10.39

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 €48.22

$26.62 MX$500

102.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 €4.99

$4.97 MX$93.3

12.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 €1.28

$3.33 MX$62.5

-57.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.85 €24.95

$5.36 MX$101

419.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 €1.68

$1.44 MX$27.11

29.86%

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

$28.1K €25.2K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

35.96%

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

$24.9K €22.3K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

6.07%

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

$188 €168

$84.8 MX$1,592

121.30%

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

$24.20 €21.67

$23.41 MX$439

3.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.87 €35.71

$28.66 MX$538

39.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 €46.81

$57.1 MX$1,071

-8.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.00 €9.85

$28.91 MX$543

-61.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 €9.26

$5.14 MX$96.5

101.17%

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

$553 €495

$207 MX$3,878

167.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.5K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

225.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 €87.1

$43.35 MX$814

124.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.16 €36.86

$41.44 MX$778

-0.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.8

$74.2 MX$1,393

36.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €96.9

$89.3 MX$1,676

21.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 €610

$980 MX$18.4K

-30.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 €469

$381 MX$7,150

37.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 €1,073

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-29.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$869 €778

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-19.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 €3,583

$3,943 MX$74.0K

1.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,809 €3,412

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-38.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,473 €1,319

$735 MX$13.8K

100.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

11.45

-67.42%

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

Last update for Rijeka: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rijeka

$523 33%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 27.2% $143

Groceries & Markets

Rijeka

$292 18.4%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 12.7% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rijeka

$252 15.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 45.6% $115

Eating Out

Rijeka

$213 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 5.2% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Rijeka

$157 9.9%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 28.7% $45

Getting Around

Rijeka

$78 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 35% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Rijeka

$73 4.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 7.7% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $681 in Rijeka versus $980 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 in Rijeka are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Rijeka versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $292 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇭🇷 Rijeka

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

06:17 6:17 AM

6 h behind Rijeka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,964

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rijeka Playa del Carmen 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Rijeka
Playa del Carmen

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

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

Yes – Rijeka is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,381 per month in Rijeka and $1,806 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 Rijeka, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $681 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,588 in Rijeka and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 24% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 51% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Rijeka at $1,588. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rijeka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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 $1,588 in Rijeka. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rijeka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.