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: $1,084 in Magadan versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,723 in Magadan versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,362 in Magadan versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Magadan costs roughly 15% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Magadan 19% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.28 ₽672

$11.87 MX$204

-21.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 ₽4,639

$42.90 MX$736

49.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.73 ₽415

$10.65 MX$183

-46.20%

Cappuccino

$3.13 ₽227

$3.45 MX$59.2

-9.28%

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

$1.53 ₽111

$1.50 MX$25.81

2.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 ₽77.4

$0.95 MX$16.28

12.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.41 ₽102

$3.03 MX$51.9

-53.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 ₽183

$4.61 MX$79.1

-45.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₽115

$1.38 MX$23.61

15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 ₽76.2

$1.85 MX$31.70

-43.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 ₽108

$1.61 MX$27.65

-7.45%

Eggs

$2.96 ₽214

$2.59 MX$44.51

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.62 ₽1,059

$8.26 MX$142

77.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 ₽665

$8.37 MX$144

9.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.02 ₽1,161

$10.66 MX$183

50.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 ₽130

$2.63 MX$45.12

-31.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.44 ₽249

$1.49 MX$25.53

130.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 ₽226

$1.92 MX$32.94

62.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 ₽200

$2.09 MX$35.81

32.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 ₽98.8

$1.86 MX$31.88

-26.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 ₽85.0

$2.26 MX$38.81

-48.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 ₽65.4

$1.06 MX$18.23

-15.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₽86.9

$1.09 MX$18.67

10.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.20 ₽232

$4.15 MX$71.2

-22.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.81 ₽929

$10.39 MX$178

23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 ₽74.5

$1.72 MX$29.59

-40.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₽185

$2.61 MX$44.85

-1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₽72.4

$0.54 MX$9.30

85.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ₽113

$3.13 MX$53.7

-50.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.33 ₽23.78

$2.51 MX$43.09

-86.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.30 ₽456

$3.15 MX$54.1

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 ₽55.4

$1.27 MX$21.88

-40.16%

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

$34.7K ₽2.5M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

14.40%

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

$36.1K ₽2.6M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

53.05%

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

$110 ₽7,970

$83.0 MX$1,425

32.52%

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

$5.94 ₽430

$22.71 MX$390

-73.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.68 ₽556

$29.46 MX$506

-73.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.72 ₽2,588

$51.0 MX$875

-29.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$5.18 ₽375

$4.93 MX$84.5

5.07%

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

$322 ₽23.3K

$197 MX$3,386

63.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,965 ₽504.7K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

31.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ₽5,161

$36.90 MX$633

93.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.78 ₽3,172

$39.89 MX$685

9.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₽8,179

$80.0 MX$1,373

41.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₽7,789

$89.5 MX$1,536

20.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$444 ₽32.1K

$956 MX$16.4K

-53.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$303 ₽22.0K

$477 MX$8,189

-36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$771 ₽55.9K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-53.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₽37.2K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-58.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,098 ₽79.5K

$667 MX$11.4K

64.58%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $444 in Magadan and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Magadan pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Magadan vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $250 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 17% 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.

Magadan pays 65% 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: $444 in Magadan versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $322 in Magadan versus $197 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 $64.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,084 in Magadan versus $1,271 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 $1,084 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 17% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.