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: $3,334 in Ashgabat versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,091 in Ashgabat versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,848 in Ashgabat versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 158% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashgabat is 143% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.57 TMT 106

$11.71 MX$198

169.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 TMT 285

$46.59 MX$787

82.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 TMT 43.06

$11.65 MX$197

10.30%

Cappuccino

$6.88 TMT 23.05

$4.09 MX$69.2

68.22%

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

$1.59 TMT 5.34

$1.37 MX$23.23

16.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TMT 2.75

$0.83 MX$14.09

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.80 TMT 19.44

$3.35 MX$56.7

73.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.72 TMT 45.96

$6.91 MX$117

98.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.41 TMT 14.77

$1.73 MX$29.19

154.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 TMT 6.99

$2.26 MX$38.20

-7.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.01 TMT 20.14

$1.77 MX$29.90

239.55%

Eggs

$6.10 TMT 20.44

$2.73 MX$46.18

123.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.39 TMT 125

$9.18 MX$155

307.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.96 TMT 66.9

$8.92 MX$151

123.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.41 TMT 78.4

$12.60 MX$213

85.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 TMT 16.61

$3.02 MX$51.1

64.24%

Banana (1kg)

$8.53 TMT 28.59

$1.57 MX$26.54

443.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.59 TMT 25.42

$2.13 MX$35.92

256.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 TMT 12.05

$2.26 MX$38.27

59.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 TMT 7.78

$2.00 MX$33.87

16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 TMT 4.69

$2.06 MX$34.89

-32.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 TMT 8.67

$1.18 MX$19.94

119.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 TMT 3.64

$1.20 MX$20.35

-9.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.76 TMT 86.3

$4.63 MX$78.3

456.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$40.58 TMT 136

$10.69 MX$181

279.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.11 TMT 17.11

$1.62 MX$27.37

215.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 TMT 9.65

$2.88 MX$48.69

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 TMT 0.48

$0.57 MX$9.69

-75.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.09 TMT 33.80

$29.83 MX$504

-66.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 TMT 9.26

$5.45 MX$92.1

-49.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 TMT 2.75

$3.70 MX$62.6

-77.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 TMT 29.31

$5.98 MX$101

46.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.44 TMT 1.49

$1.55 MX$26.25

-71.61%

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

$43.6K TMT 146.1K

$22.3K MX$377.3K

95.26%

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

$58.1K TMT 194.6K

$25.9K MX$438.5K

123.85%

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

$577 TMT 1,934

$89.1 MX$1,506

547.67%

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

$56.5 TMT 189

$25.04 MX$423

125.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 TMT 344

$31.50 MX$532

225.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$196 TMT 657

$67.8 MX$1,145

189.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.21 TMT 148

$28.92 MX$489

52.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.70 TMT 29.14

$5.05 MX$85.3

72.28%

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

$23.24 TMT 77.8

$225 MX$3,802

-89.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K TMT 82.8K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

485.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 TMT 184

$47.44 MX$802

15.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$113 TMT 378

$44.98 MX$760

150.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$362 TMT 1,212

$82.0 MX$1,386

341.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$193 TMT 645

$92.1 MX$1,556

109.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 TMT 3,793

$1,069 MX$18.1K

5.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 TMT 3,337

$405 MX$6,850

145.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,279 TMT 7,636

$1,935 MX$32.7K

17.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 TMT 6,532

$1,301 MX$22.0K

49.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,565 TMT 11.9K

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-10.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,854 TMT 9,559

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-56.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$737 TMT 2,470

$749 MX$12.7K

-1.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

11.45

-17.03%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,132 in Ashgabat and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Ashgabat vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $666 vs $277 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 158% in total monthly costs ($3,334 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,132 in Ashgabat versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $23.24 in Ashgabat versus $225 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 140% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,334 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 158% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.