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 $774 per month in Stip vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,153 per month in Stip vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,532 per month in Stip vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stip is about 38% 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 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.80 MKD 311

$11.99 MX$210

-51.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.99 MKD 858

$41.78 MX$733

-61.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 MKD 265

$10.75 MX$189

-53.95%

Cappuccino

$1.98 MKD 106

$3.50 MX$61.3

-43.43%

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

$1.76 MKD 94.4

$1.45 MX$25.41

21.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 MKD 66.0

$0.88 MX$15.52

39.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 MKD 123

$2.95 MX$51.7

-22.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 MKD 142

$4.51 MX$79.1

-41.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MKD 71.1

$1.43 MX$25.12

-6.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 MKD 36.06

$1.84 MX$32.23

-63.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 MKD 59.9

$1.57 MX$27.51

-28.66%

Eggs

$2.03 MKD 109

$2.51 MX$44.06

-19.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.33 MKD 554

$8.28 MX$145

24.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.34 MKD 394

$8.43 MX$148

-12.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 MKD 402

$10.68 MX$187

-29.78%

Apples (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 48.50

$2.61 MX$45.76

-65.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MKD 73.9

$1.44 MX$25.22

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 MKD 70.2

$1.96 MX$34.41

-33.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 MKD 87.4

$2.09 MX$36.74

-22.01%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MKD 52.9

$1.85 MX$32.47

-46.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 MKD 73.7

$2.17 MX$38.02

-36.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 MKD 31.00

$1.03 MX$18.09

-43.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 MKD 21.99

$1.07 MX$18.84

-61.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 MKD 158

$4.10 MX$72.0

-28.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 MKD 408

$10.17 MX$178

-25.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MKD 53.1

$1.68 MX$29.38

-41.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 MKD 95.9

$2.53 MX$44.31

-29.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 MKD 34.33

$0.51 MX$8.93

25.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.79 MKD 1,062

$26.04 MX$457

-24.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MKD 62.1

$3.23 MX$56.7

-64.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MKD 28.36

$2.41 MX$42.19

-78.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 MKD 301

$3.23 MX$56.6

73.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MKD 79.9

$1.32 MX$23.17

12.88%

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

$31.7K MKD 1.7M

$29.7K MX$520.9K

6.87%

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

$34.4K MKD 1.8M

$23.7K MX$415.0K

45.27%

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

$147 MKD 7,908

$82.0 MX$1,439

79.77%

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

$9.36 MKD 502

$22.95 MX$403

-59.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.45 MKD 829

$30.11 MX$528

-48.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.94 MKD 1,499

$52.0 MX$912

-46.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 MKD 255

$4.98 MX$87.3

-4.62%

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

$219 MKD 11.7K

$197 MX$3,463

10.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,186 MKD 63.6K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-77.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.87 MKD 1,978

$35.60 MX$624

3.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.76 MKD 1,704

$40.33 MX$707

-21.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 MKD 4,046

$78.8 MX$1,381

-4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MKD 6,101

$88.9 MX$1,560

27.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 MKD 11.2K

$947 MX$16.6K

-77.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$133 MKD 7,145

$474 MX$8,314

-71.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$338 MKD 18.1K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-79.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 MKD 10.9K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-83.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,228 MKD 65.9K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-69.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$988 MKD 53.0K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-84.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$463 MKD 24.8K

$654 MX$11.5K

-29.20%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $209 in Stip versus $947 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 41% 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: $186 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 62%, 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 $1,161 per month in Stip and $1,884 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 $774 in Stip and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 32% 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 $774, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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.