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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,020 in Korolyov versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,442 in Korolyov versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,865 in Korolyov versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Korolyov costs roughly 20% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Korolyov 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.92 ₽646

$11.87 MX$204

-24.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.76 ₽1,504

$42.90 MX$736

-51.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 ₽373

$10.65 MX$183

-51.64%

Cappuccino

$2.08 ₽150

$3.45 MX$59.2

-39.71%

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

$0.87 ₽63.1

$1.50 MX$25.81

-42.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ₽26.69

$0.95 MX$16.28

-61.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 ₽295

$3.03 MX$51.9

34.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₽141

$4.61 MX$79.1

-57.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 ₽86.3

$1.38 MX$23.61

-13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 ₽32.64

$1.85 MX$31.70

-75.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 ₽98.2

$1.61 MX$27.65

-15.53%

Eggs

$1.55 ₽112

$2.59 MX$44.51

-40.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 ₽858

$8.26 MX$142

43.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 ₽389

$8.37 MX$144

-35.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₽551

$10.66 MX$183

-28.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 ₽135

$2.63 MX$45.12

-29.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ₽122

$1.49 MX$25.53

12.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ₽170

$1.92 MX$32.94

21.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 ₽304

$2.09 MX$35.81

100.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.41 ₽29.63

$1.86 MX$31.88

-77.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 ₽60.6

$2.26 MX$38.81

-62.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 ₽123

$1.06 MX$18.23

60.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₽38.26

$1.09 MX$18.67

-51.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.58 ₽187

$4.15 MX$71.2

-37.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.05 ₽801

$10.39 MX$178

6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽77.5

$1.72 MX$29.59

-37.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₽103

$2.61 MX$44.85

-45.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 ₽53.9

$0.54 MX$9.30

37.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.68 ₽1,571

$26.94 MX$462

-19.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 ₽187

$3.13 MX$53.7

-17.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 ₽32.07

$2.51 MX$43.09

-82.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 ₽575

$3.15 MX$54.1

152.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 ₽56.5

$1.27 MX$21.88

-38.58%

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

$37.7K ₽2.7M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

24.00%

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

$19.9K ₽1.4M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-15.57%

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

$125 ₽9,028

$83.0 MX$1,425

50.11%

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

$5.41 ₽392

$22.71 MX$390

-76.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.04 ₽583

$29.46 MX$506

-72.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.36 ₽2,345

$51.0 MX$875

-36.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.18 ₽1,100

$18.33 MX$315

-17.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.33 ₽386

$4.93 MX$84.5

8.11%

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

$696 ₽50.5K

$197 MX$3,386

252.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K ₽1.1M

$5,280 MX$90.6K

175.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 ₽4,101

$36.90 MX$633

53.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.99 ₽1,810

$39.89 MX$685

-37.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$37.73 ₽2,734

$80.0 MX$1,373

-52.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.1 ₽4,134

$89.5 MX$1,536

-36.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 ₽32.9K

$956 MX$16.4K

-52.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 ₽26.9K

$477 MX$8,189

-22.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 ₽50.2K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-57.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 ₽36.5K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-58.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,746 ₽199.0K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-29.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,425 ₽175.7K

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-62.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,116 ₽80.8K

$667 MX$11.4K

67.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

31.35%

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

Last update for Korolyov: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $454 in Korolyov and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Korolyov pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Korolyov vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $250 per month, with Korolyov cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Korolyov wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Korolyov the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Korolyov pays 67% more on average, 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: $454 in Korolyov versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Korolyov runs roughly 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $696 in Korolyov versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,020 in Korolyov versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Korolyov but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Korolyov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Korolyov delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,020 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Korolyov hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Korolyov 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 Korolyov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.