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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $778 per month in Stip vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,138 per month in Stip vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,497 per month in Stip vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

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

Both Stip and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Stip 42% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.74 MKD 302

$11.73 MX$203

-51.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.11 MKD 849

$41.62 MX$720

-61.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 MKD 259

$10.64 MX$184

-53.76%

Cappuccino

$1.89 MKD 99.4

$3.52 MX$60.9

-46.31%

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

$1.74 MKD 92.0

$1.51 MX$26.12

15.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MKD 64.0

$0.97 MX$16.84

24.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 MKD 117

$2.95 MX$51.0

-25.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 MKD 147

$4.45 MX$77.0

-37.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 MKD 67.9

$1.38 MX$23.93

-6.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 MKD 35.66

$1.89 MX$32.72

-64.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 MKD 58.2

$1.64 MX$28.32

-32.93%

Eggs

$2.10 MKD 111

$2.51 MX$43.34

-16.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.32 MKD 544

$8.34 MX$144

23.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.23 MKD 381

$8.34 MX$144

-13.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 MKD 392

$10.73 MX$186

-30.75%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 MKD 51.2

$2.60 MX$45.04

-62.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MKD 75.6

$1.46 MX$25.20

-2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 69.0

$1.90 MX$32.87

-31.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 MKD 83.1

$2.08 MX$35.91

-24.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 MKD 48.85

$1.78 MX$30.71

-47.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MKD 73.1

$2.19 MX$37.80

-36.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 MKD 28.17

$1.04 MX$17.99

-49.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 MKD 21.30

$1.08 MX$18.62

-62.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 MKD 161

$4.08 MX$70.6

-25.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.49 MKD 395

$10.32 MX$178

-27.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MKD 53.4

$1.71 MX$29.61

-40.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 MKD 95.3

$2.58 MX$44.54

-29.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MKD 33.06

$0.51 MX$8.81

23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.52 MKD 1,082

$26.46 MX$458

-22.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MKD 58.1

$3.26 MX$56.4

-66.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 MKD 25.84

$2.49 MX$43.09

-80.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 MKD 296

$3.25 MX$56.2

72.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MKD 76.2

$1.31 MX$22.61

10.69%

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

$31.4K MKD 1.7M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

3.61%

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

$34.4K MKD 1.8M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

46.78%

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

$144 MKD 7,568

$82.9 MX$1,433

73.30%

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

$9.23 MKD 486

$22.22 MX$384

-58.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.31 MKD 807

$29.34 MX$507

-47.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.83 MKD 1,467

$51.6 MX$893

-46.10%

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)

$216 MKD 11.4K

$201 MX$3,473

7.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,182 MKD 62.3K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-77.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.03 MKD 2,004

$36.92 MX$639

3.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.80 MKD 1,676

$39.79 MX$688

-20.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 MKD 3,933

$78.5 MX$1,357

-4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MKD 6,013

$87.1 MX$1,506

31.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 MKD 10.9K

$973 MX$16.8K

-78.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 MKD 7,008

$468 MX$8,090

-71.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$344 MKD 18.1K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-79.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 MKD 10.8K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-83.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,257 MKD 66.3K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-68.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,026 MKD 54.1K

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-84.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 MKD 24.6K

$664 MX$11.5K

-29.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.1

11.42

-37.83%

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

Last update for Stip: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $207 in Stip 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.

Salaries run about 42% 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 $16.00 in Stip versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $249 – making Stip 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

Stip 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 $1,167 per month in Stip 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 Stip, 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 $778 in Stip 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 29% less in Stip. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Stip, where all-in costs run around $778, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. In Stip it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stip – 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 Stip. 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.