Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stip and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Stip: $809 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Stip
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Stip Living Index
58

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

Jump to prices

Stip

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$809

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Stip 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 Stip and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $809 per month in Stip vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stip $809
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,210 per month in Stip vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stip $1,210
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,611 per month in Stip vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stip $1,611
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Stip is about 33% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Stip and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Stip 41% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 MKD 410

$10.92 MX$203

-31.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.08 MKD 1,270

$43.37 MX$808

-46.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.30 MKD 347

$11.78 MX$219

-46.52%

Cappuccino

$1.81 MKD 99.3

$3.81 MX$71.0

-52.49%

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

$1.43 MKD 78.7

$1.28 MX$23.89

11.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MKD 58.8

$0.78 MX$14.58

37.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 MKD 101

$3.17 MX$59.0

-41.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MKD 151

$4.93 MX$91.9

-44.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MKD 70.1

$1.41 MX$26.20

-9.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 MKD 40.87

$2.22 MX$41.30

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 MKD 61.1

$1.42 MX$26.40

-21.83%

Eggs

$2.52 MKD 139

$2.52 MX$47.00

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 MKD 438

$7.26 MX$135

9.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.26 MKD 399

$7.70 MX$143

-5.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 MKD 397

$12.69 MX$236

-43.18%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 49.31

$2.78 MX$51.9

-67.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MKD 79.6

$1.37 MX$25.49

5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 MKD 72.7

$2.55 MX$47.52

-48.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MKD 87.8

$2.12 MX$39.55

-24.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MKD 48.68

$1.94 MX$36.11

-54.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.80 MKD 43.97

$1.89 MX$35.13

-57.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 MKD 30.98

$1.15 MX$21.36

-51.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 MKD 23.11

$1.18 MX$21.96

-64.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.25 MKD 179

$4.30 MX$80.0

-24.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.42 MKD 409

$9.95 MX$185

-25.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MKD 56.8

$1.58 MX$29.50

-34.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 MKD 81.9

$2.67 MX$49.76

-44.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MKD 36.88

$0.55 MX$10.31

21.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.98 MKD 1,319

$26.62 MX$496

-9.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 MKD 59.3

$4.97 MX$92.6

-78.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MKD 31.74

$3.33 MX$62.1

-82.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.54 MKD 305

$5.36 MX$99.8

3.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MKD 84.2

$1.44 MX$26.90

6.25%

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

$33.1K MKD 1.8M

$20.7K MX$385.0K

60.33%

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

$26.0K MKD 1.4M

$23.5K MX$437.2K

10.68%

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

$158 MKD 8,680

$84.8 MX$1,580

86.07%

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

$8.95 MKD 492

$23.41 MX$436

-61.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.29 MKD 896

$28.66 MX$534

-43.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.01 MKD 1,486

$57.1 MX$1,063

-52.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.36 MKD 955

$28.91 MX$539

-39.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 MKD 358

$5.14 MX$95.7

26.46%

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

$357 MKD 19.6K

$207 MX$3,848

72.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,645 MKD 310.6K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

43.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.74 MKD 1,966

$43.35 MX$808

-17.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.66 MKD 1,687

$41.44 MX$772

-26.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MKD 5,556

$74.2 MX$1,382

36.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 MKD 6,203

$89.3 MX$1,663

26.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$201 MKD 11.1K

$980 MX$18.2K

-79.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$127 MKD 6,989

$381 MX$7,095

-66.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 MKD 18.2K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-80.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 MKD 11.0K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-81.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,210 MKD 66.6K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-69.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$976 MKD 53.7K

$6,158 MX$114.7K

-84.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$463 MKD 25.5K

$735 MX$13.7K

-36.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

11.45

-63.06%

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

Last update for Stip: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stip

$183 22.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 25.2% $46

Groceries & Markets

Stip

$177 21.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 43.5% $77

Accommodation & Living

Stip

$127 15.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 200% $254

Clothing & Footwear

Stip

$126 15.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 11.4% $14

Eating Out

Stip

$125 15.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 62% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Stip

$40 5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 68.3% $27

Getting Around

Stip

$31 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 64.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $201 in Stip 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 run about 58% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23 in Stip versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $177 vs $255 – making Stip the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Stip

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

20:02 8:02 PM

6 h behind Stip

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,000

149,923

💱 Currency

North Macedonian Denar MKD ден

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MKD = 1.82 USD

100 MKD = 1.63 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to MKD – North Macedonian Denar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇰 North Macedonian Denar (ден)

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.02 MKD (100 MKD = 1.82 USD). 1 EUR = 61.25 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to MKD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Stip Playa del Carmen 9,980 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Stip
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,214 per month in Stip 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 Stip, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $201 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $809 in Stip and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Stip about 33% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Stip. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Stip, where all-in costs run around $809, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Stip it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen 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 $809 in Stip to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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