Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Veles and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Veles: $766 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Veles
Learn more

Veles Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Veles

🇲🇰 North Macedonia

$766

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $766 per month in Veles vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Veles $766
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,137 per month in Veles vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Veles $1,137
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $1,507 per month in Veles vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Veles $1,507
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Veles is about 36% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Veles and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Veles 44% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.78 MKD 483

$10.92 MX$203

-19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.09 MKD 995

$43.37 MX$808

-58.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 MKD 299

$11.78 MX$219

-53.90%

Cappuccino

$1.56 MKD 85.7

$3.81 MX$71.0

-59.06%

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

$1.33 MKD 73.3

$1.28 MX$23.89

3.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MKD 45.00

$0.78 MX$14.58

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 MKD 81.1

$3.17 MX$59.0

-53.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MKD 171

$4.93 MX$91.9

-36.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 MKD 56.6

$1.41 MX$26.20

-26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 MKD 29.29

$2.22 MX$41.30

-76.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MKD 83.3

$1.42 MX$26.40

6.34%

Eggs

$2.48 MKD 136

$2.52 MX$47.00

-1.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.97 MKD 163

$7.26 MX$135

-59.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 MKD 216

$7.70 MX$143

-48.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 MKD 826

$12.69 MX$236

18.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 MKD 79.1

$2.78 MX$51.9

-48.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MKD 80.4

$1.37 MX$25.49

6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 MKD 73.7

$2.55 MX$47.52

-47.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 MKD 104

$2.12 MX$39.55

-10.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.90 MKD 49.68

$1.94 MX$36.11

-53.61%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 MKD 45.91

$1.89 MX$35.13

-56.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 MKD 32.73

$1.15 MX$21.36

-48.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 MKD 32.90

$1.18 MX$21.96

-49.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 MKD 178

$4.30 MX$80.0

-24.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 MKD 342

$9.95 MX$185

-37.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MKD 56.2

$1.58 MX$29.50

-35.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 MKD 79.3

$2.67 MX$49.76

-46.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 MKD 43.93

$0.55 MX$10.31

45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.73 MKD 1,306

$26.62 MX$496

-10.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MKD 60.7

$4.97 MX$92.6

-77.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MKD 31.70

$3.33 MX$62.1

-82.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 MKD 422

$5.36 MX$99.8

43.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MKD 76.8

$1.44 MX$26.90

-2.78%

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

$26.5K MKD 1.5M

$20.7K MX$385.0K

28.25%

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

$24.8K MKD 1.4M

$23.5K MX$437.2K

5.64%

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

$108 MKD 5,963

$84.8 MX$1,580

27.83%

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

$16.80 MKD 924

$23.41 MX$436

-28.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.21 MKD 672

$28.66 MX$534

-57.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.03 MKD 1,377

$57.1 MX$1,063

-56.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.81 MKD 980

$28.91 MX$539

-38.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.37 MKD 185

$5.14 MX$95.7

-34.44%

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

$214 MKD 11.8K

$207 MX$3,848

3.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,661 MKD 311.5K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

44.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.40 MKD 1,177

$43.35 MX$808

-50.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.01 MKD 991

$41.44 MX$772

-56.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 MKD 4,047

$74.2 MX$1,382

-0.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 MKD 5,977

$89.3 MX$1,663

21.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 MKD 12.2K

$980 MX$18.2K

-77.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$169 MKD 9,289

$381 MX$7,095

-55.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 MKD 15.9K

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-83.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 MKD 12.8K

$1,075 MX$20.0K

-78.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,181 MKD 65.0K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-70.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$940 MKD 51.7K

$6,158 MX$114.7K

-84.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 MKD 32.2K

$735 MX$13.7K

-20.24%

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 Veles: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Veles

$170 22.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 49.6% $84

Accommodation & Living

Veles

$169 22%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 126% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Veles

$137 17.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 0.4% $0.5

Eating Out

Veles

$127 16.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 58.8% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Veles

$100 13%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 12% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Veles

$32 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 112% $36

Getting Around

Veles

$31 4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 63.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Veles 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 25% 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 $18 in Veles versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $255 – making Veles the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇰 Veles

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

07:28 7:28 AM

01:28 1:28 AM

6 h behind Veles

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,716

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

Veles Playa del Carmen 9,950 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Veles
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,150 per month in Veles 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 Veles, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $223 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $766 in Veles and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Veles about 36% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Veles. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $766 in Veles to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Veles. 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.