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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,149 in Ashgabat versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,892 in Ashgabat versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,636 in Ashgabat versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 151% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashgabat is 136% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.40 TMT 116

$11.99 MX$210

186.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.5 TMT 287

$41.78 MX$733

104.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.22 TMT 47.77

$10.75 MX$189

32.28%

Cappuccino

$7.19 TMT 24.17

$3.50 MX$61.3

105.43%

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

$3.17 TMT 10.67

$1.45 MX$25.41

118.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 TMT 3.16

$0.88 MX$15.52

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.28 TMT 17.74

$2.95 MX$51.7

78.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.19 TMT 47.67

$4.51 MX$79.1

214.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.85 TMT 16.29

$1.43 MX$25.12

239.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.43 TMT 8.18

$1.84 MX$32.23

32.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.15 TMT 24.02

$1.57 MX$27.51

355.41%

Eggs

$6.12 TMT 20.57

$2.51 MX$44.06

143.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$40.33 TMT 136

$8.28 MX$145

387.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.24 TMT 61.3

$8.43 MX$148

116.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.50 TMT 62.2

$10.68 MX$187

73.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.59 TMT 18.77

$2.61 MX$45.76

114.18%

Banana (1kg)

$9.01 TMT 30.27

$1.44 MX$25.22

525.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.83 TMT 26.32

$1.96 MX$34.41

299.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.62 TMT 12.17

$2.09 MX$36.74

73.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 TMT 7.57

$1.85 MX$32.47

21.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 TMT 6.14

$2.17 MX$38.02

-15.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 TMT 6.65

$1.03 MX$18.09

92.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 TMT 3.82

$1.07 MX$18.84

6.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.11 TMT 87.7

$4.10 MX$72.0

536.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.56 TMT 140

$10.17 MX$178

308.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 TMT 15.75

$1.68 MX$29.38

179.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 TMT 9.41

$2.53 MX$44.31

10.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 TMT 0.53

$0.51 MX$8.93

-68.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 TMT 28.12

$26.04 MX$457

-67.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 TMT 9.56

$3.23 MX$56.7

-12.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 TMT 2.78

$2.41 MX$42.19

-65.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 TMT 29.57

$3.23 MX$56.6

172.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.45 TMT 1.50

$1.32 MX$23.17

-65.91%

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

$44.8K TMT 150.5K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

50.83%

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

$57.2K TMT 192.1K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

141.65%

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

$569 TMT 1,911

$82.0 MX$1,439

593.48%

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

$57.6 TMT 194

$22.95 MX$403

150.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 345

$30.11 MX$528

241.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$195 TMT 657

$52.0 MX$912

276.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.83 TMT 151

$18.53 MX$325

141.93%

Cinema Ticket

$14.37 TMT 48.27

$4.98 MX$87.3

188.55%

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

$22.96 TMT 77.2

$197 MX$3,463

-88.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K TMT 84.8K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

373.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.5 TMT 223

$35.60 MX$624

86.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$121 TMT 407

$40.33 MX$707

200.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$304 TMT 1,021

$78.8 MX$1,381

285.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$187 TMT 627

$88.9 MX$1,560

109.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 TMT 3,726

$947 MX$16.6K

17.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 TMT 2,482

$474 MX$8,314

55.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 TMT 6,038

$1,644 MX$28.8K

9.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 TMT 5,301

$1,211 MX$21.2K

30.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,489 TMT 11.7K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-13.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,850 TMT 9,575

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-55.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$763 TMT 2,564

$654 MX$11.5K

16.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

11.42

-16.81%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,109 in Ashgabat and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $86.0 in Ashgabat vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $669 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Ashgabat and Playa del Carmen differ by about 151% in total monthly costs ($3,149 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Ashgabat, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,109 in Ashgabat versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $22.96 in Ashgabat versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 169% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,149 in Ashgabat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ashgabat and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.