Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astana and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Astana: $1,131 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,131

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,131 per month in Astana vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Astana $1,131
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,809 per month in Astana vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Astana $1,809
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $2,486 per month in Astana vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Astana $2,486
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Astana is about 7% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Astana and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Astana 16% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 ₸4,953

$10.76 MX$199

1.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.48 ₸17.4K

$43.03 MX$795

-10.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 ₸3,443

$11.79 MX$218

-35.37%

Cappuccino

$2.64 ₸1,191

$3.87 MX$71.4

-31.78%

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

$1.11 ₸500

$1.37 MX$25.29

-18.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 ₸282

$0.84 MX$15.44

-26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₸586

$3.10 MX$57.3

-58.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₸988

$5.07 MX$93.6

-56.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 ₸578

$1.44 MX$26.55

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 ₸286

$2.23 MX$41.23

-71.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 ₸741

$1.47 MX$27.17

11.56%

Eggs

$2.23 ₸1,007

$2.53 MX$46.71

-11.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.91 ₸5,383

$7.30 MX$135

63.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 ₸2,637

$7.86 MX$145

-25.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.46 ₸4,730

$12.79 MX$236

-18.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 ₸823

$2.90 MX$53.6

-37.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 ₸1,046

$1.44 MX$26.53

60.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 ₸1,001

$2.55 MX$47.07

-13.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 ₸985

$2.06 MX$38.03

5.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 ₸297

$2.00 MX$36.97

-67.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ₸208

$2.01 MX$37.07

-77.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 ₸694

$1.19 MX$22.02

29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸397

$1.26 MX$23.23

-30.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 ₸974

$4.40 MX$81.4

-51.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 ₸5,080

$9.59 MX$177

17.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₸617

$1.59 MX$29.41

-14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 ₸1,100

$2.81 MX$51.9

-13.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 ₸103

$0.57 MX$10.47

-59.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.87 ₸7,625

$27.82 MX$514

-39.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ₸998

$4.98 MX$92.1

-55.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 ₸509

$3.50 MX$64.6

-67.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 ₸2,951

$5.40 MX$99.8

20.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸285

$1.47 MX$27.08

-57.14%

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

$24.4K ₸11.1M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

16.50%

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

$30.7K ₸13.9M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

28.31%

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

$68.5 ₸30.9K

$84.2 MX$1,556

-18.70%

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

$10.25 ₸4,633

$23.99 MX$443

-57.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.92 ₸8,101

$29.02 MX$536

-38.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 ₸25.5K

$63.0 MX$1,164

-10.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.43 ₸9,237

$29.14 MX$539

-29.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 ₸2,947

$4.94 MX$91.3

31.98%

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

$369 ₸166.9K

$204 MX$3,763

81.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ₸5.4M

$3,941 MX$72.8K

203.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.2 ₸29.9K

$43.60 MX$806

51.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.16 ₸20.9K

$43.12 MX$797

7.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ₸53.5K

$75.8 MX$1,400

56.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₸58.9K

$88.6 MX$1,637

47.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$578 ₸261.5K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ₸176.0K

$374 MX$6,911

4.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 ₸518.1K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-32.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 ₸346.8K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-30.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,523 ₸688.6K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-61.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,124 ₸508.2K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-81.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$886 ₸400.7K

$754 MX$13.9K

17.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.5

11.45

35.37%

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

Last update for Astana: October 10, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Astana

$389 34.4%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 3.9% $15

Groceries & Markets

Astana

$227 20.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 13.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Astana

$162 14.4%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 30.4% $49

Eating Out

Astana

$160 14.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 26.5% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astana

$97 8.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 42% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Astana

$70 6.2%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 4.8% $3.4

Getting Around

Astana

$26 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 105% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $578 in Astana versus $1,008 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 18% higher in Astana, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Astana versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $258 – making Astana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Astana

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:08 11:08 PM

12:08 12:08 PM

11 h behind Astana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

814,400 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Astana Playa del Carmen 11,760 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Astana
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,131 in Astana, $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,696 per month in Astana and $1,816 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 Astana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $369 per month in Astana and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Astana, where all-in costs run around $1,131, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Astana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,131 in Astana to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Astana. 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.