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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,151 in Almaty, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,914 in Almaty, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 4% cheaper than Almaty, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Playa del Carmen sits 3% below the global median, while Almaty is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$12.78 ₸5,840

1.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$45.00 ₸20.6K

2.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$8.79 ₸4,017

43.23%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$3.16 ₸1,444

26.58%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$1.27 ₸581

11.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.89 ₸409

-8.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$2.65 ₸1,211

15.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$3.89 ₸1,776

75.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.71 ₸783

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.80 ₸368

177.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$2.09 ₸956

-17.70%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.31 ₸1,054

17.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$11.79 ₸5,389

-20.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$6.84 ₸3,126

29.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$10.69 ₸4,884

19.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$1.85 ₸846

69.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.28 ₸1,043

-32.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$2.83 ₸1,292

-24.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$2.66 ₸1,218

-11.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.71 ₸326

184.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.54 ₸247

268.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$1.60 ₸733

-22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.99 ₸451

20.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$2.62 ₸1,196

77.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$10.82 ₸4,944

-3.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.17 ₸534

35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$2.21 ₸1,012

32.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.27 ₸124

107.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$21.69 ₸9,912

37.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.35 ₸615

294.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.68 ₸309

447.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$10.65 ₸4,865

-45.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$0.69 ₸317

124.64%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$26.4K ₸12.1M

-15.26%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$30.1K ₸13.8M

-15.15%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$89.3 ₸40.8K

-0.02%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$10.58 ₸4,837

120.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$16.64 ₸7,607

90.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$74.9 ₸34.2K

-8.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$29.59 ₸13.5K

-0.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$6.61 ₸3,022

-23.45%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$436 ₸199.3K

-49.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$11.7K ₸5.4M

-63.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$93.4 ₸42.7K

-50.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$44.21 ₸20.2K

0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$132 ₸60.5K

-27.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$128 ₸58.7K

-27.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$794 ₸362.7K

34.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$526 ₸240.4K

-25.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$1,399 ₸639.3K

42.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$930 ₸424.8K

40.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$2,529 ₸1.2M

59.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,437 ₸657.0K

361.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$852 ₸389.2K

-12.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

20.57

-43.61%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Almaty: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $794 in Almaty. 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 14% higher in Almaty, 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $245 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 4%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,081 in Almaty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, 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 $46.00 in Playa del Carmen and $45.00 in Almaty. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,330 in Playa del Carmen and $1,387 in Almaty. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,330, than in Almaty at $1,387. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Almaty it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Almaty makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.