Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kostanay and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostanay: $962 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Kostanay
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Kostanay Living Index
59

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

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Kostanay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$962

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $962 per month in Kostanay vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kostanay $962
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,452 per month in Kostanay vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kostanay $1,452
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,943 per month in Kostanay vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Kostanay $1,943
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Kostanay is about 20% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Kostanay and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Kostanay 29% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.60 ₸2,532

$10.86 MX$201

-48.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.73 ₸13.0K

$44.21 MX$817

-35.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 ₸3,186

$11.76 MX$217

-40.05%

Cappuccino

$2.18 ₸988

$3.68 MX$68.0

-40.76%

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

$1.12 ₸506

$1.34 MX$24.79

-16.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 ₸389

$0.82 MX$15.24

4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 ₸656

$3.06 MX$56.6

-52.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 ₸1,181

$4.94 MX$91.2

-47.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 ₸550

$1.47 MX$27.17

-17.01%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₸235

$2.22 MX$40.95

-76.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ₸474

$1.48 MX$27.32

-29.05%

Eggs

$2.27 ₸1,026

$2.49 MX$45.99

-8.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ₸4,614

$7.52 MX$139

35.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 ₸2,585

$7.96 MX$147

-28.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.33 ₸3,767

$12.57 MX$232

-33.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 ₸730

$2.78 MX$51.3

-42.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 ₸1,071

$1.43 MX$26.37

65.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 ₸831

$2.62 MX$48.37

-29.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₸1,047

$2.14 MX$39.49

8.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₸264

$2.02 MX$37.38

-71.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 ₸308

$1.99 MX$36.74

-65.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 ₸548

$1.14 MX$21.01

6.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 ₸399

$1.20 MX$22.18

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.51 ₸1,135

$4.26 MX$78.7

-41.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 ₸3,827

$10.02 MX$185

-15.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₸495

$1.54 MX$28.41

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 ₸1,071

$2.66 MX$49.17

-10.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 ₸142

$0.53 MX$9.73

-41.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ₸430

$4.90 MX$90.6

-80.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 ₸516

$3.43 MX$63.5

-66.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.09 ₸2,755

$5.38 MX$99.4

13.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 ₸263

$1.45 MX$26.76

-60.00%

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

$30.3K ₸13.7M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

43.16%

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

$30.5K ₸13.8M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

32.60%

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

$76.8 ₸34.7K

$85.4 MX$1,577

-10.00%

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

$10.97 ₸4,961

$23.46 MX$434

-53.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.99 ₸7,229

$28.43 MX$525

-43.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.26 ₸21.8K

$62.2 MX$1,149

-22.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 ₸9,091

$28.68 MX$530

-29.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.40 ₸1,989

$5.10 MX$94.3

-13.73%

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

$209 ₸94.5K

$201 MX$3,715

4.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,498 ₸2.9M

$3,947 MX$72.9K

64.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.3 ₸43.5K

$44.39 MX$820

117.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 ₸24.3K

$41.35 MX$764

29.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ₸48.6K

$72.7 MX$1,344

47.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 ₸42.3K

$89.6 MX$1,656

4.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 ₸181.7K

$979 MX$18.1K

-58.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$321 ₸144.9K

$373 MX$6,887

-13.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 ₸270.1K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-64.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 ₸223.4K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-54.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,218 ₸550.5K

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-69.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$925 ₸418.0K

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-84.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 ₸297.0K

$738 MX$13.6K

-10.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

11.45

61.57%

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

Last update for Kostanay: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kostanay

$321 33.4%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 16.3% $52

Groceries & Markets

Kostanay

$202 21%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 28.1% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Kostanay

$158 16.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 29.4% $46

Eating Out

Kostanay

$113 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 77.9% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kostanay

$104 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 32.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Kostanay

$57 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 26.9% $15

Getting Around

Kostanay

$7.9 * 0.8%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 554% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $402 in Kostanay versus $979 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 12% 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 $29.00 in Kostanay versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $258 – making Kostanay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Kostanay

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:33 6:33 PM

07:33 7:33 AM

11 h behind Kostanay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

264,446

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 20, 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 20, 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

Kostanay Playa del Carmen 11,330 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Kostanay
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 25% more than Kostanay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,443 per month in Kostanay 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 Kostanay, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29.00 in Kostanay and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kostanay, where all-in costs run around $962, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Kostanay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kostanay costs $962 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Kostanay. 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.