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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,103 in Magadan versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,766 in Magadan versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,428 in Magadan versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Magadan costs roughly 12% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Magadan 17% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.60 ₽766

$11.72 MX$204

-18.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 ₽5,062

$41.89 MX$731

51.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.55 ₽443

$10.51 MX$183

-47.19%

Cappuccino

$3.11 ₽248

$3.59 MX$62.5

-13.37%

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

$1.54 ₽123

$1.51 MX$26.31

1.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₽84.0

$0.92 MX$15.96

14.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 ₽113

$2.96 MX$51.6

-52.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 ₽205

$4.41 MX$76.9

-41.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 ₽129

$1.40 MX$24.35

15.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 ₽84.5

$1.88 MX$32.87

-43.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 ₽113

$1.56 MX$27.19

-8.97%

Eggs

$2.99 ₽239

$2.61 MX$45.50

14.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 ₽1,205

$8.32 MX$145

81.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 ₽709

$8.35 MX$146

6.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.74 ₽1,256

$10.86 MX$189

44.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.80 ₽143

$2.71 MX$47.31

-33.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.50 ₽279

$1.51 MX$26.25

131.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 ₽247

$1.87 MX$32.67

65.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₽223

$2.19 MX$38.19

27.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 ₽107

$1.86 MX$32.40

-27.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ₽93.1

$2.23 MX$38.90

-47.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ₽67.9

$1.07 MX$18.63

-20.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 ₽97.7

$1.09 MX$18.94

11.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 ₽255

$4.19 MX$73.0

-23.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 ₽973

$10.43 MX$182

16.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₽82.1

$1.66 MX$28.91

-37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 ₽200

$2.61 MX$45.56

-3.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 ₽79.0

$0.54 MX$9.45

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 ₽120

$3.08 MX$53.7

-50.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₽25.97

$2.40 MX$41.94

-86.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.26 ₽499

$3.13 MX$54.5

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 ₽61.2

$1.31 MX$22.87

-41.22%

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

$33.7K ₽2.7M

$29.8K MX$519.9K

13.05%

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

$35.5K ₽2.8M

$23.3K MX$406.8K

52.36%

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

$111 ₽8,883

$81.3 MX$1,418

37.00%

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

$5.92 ₽472

$22.56 MX$393

-73.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.74 ₽618

$30.05 MX$524

-74.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.71 ₽2,849

$52.9 MX$923

-32.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$5.22 ₽416

$4.92 MX$85.8

6.10%

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

$325 ₽26.0K

$201 MX$3,502

62.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,043 ₽561.9K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

36.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 ₽5,484

$35.92 MX$627

91.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.94 ₽3,505

$40.13 MX$700

9.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 ₽9,222

$79.7 MX$1,390

45.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₽8,552

$86.5 MX$1,508

23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 ₽35.0K

$978 MX$17.1K

-55.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₽23.9K

$470 MX$8,206

-36.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 ₽61.9K

$1,651 MX$28.8K

-52.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$517 ₽41.3K

$1,203 MX$21.0K

-57.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,019 ₽81.3K

$677 MX$11.8K

50.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.08%

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

Last update for Magadan: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $439 in Magadan and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Magadan pays 51% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Magadan vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Magadan wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Magadan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Magadan, 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: $439 in Magadan versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $325 in Magadan versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Magadan – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,103 in Magadan versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Magadan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Magadan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Magadan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,103 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Magadan hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Magadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.