Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Almaty

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $1,387 in Almaty, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Almaty outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Almaty
Learn more

Almaty Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Almaty

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Almaty

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Almaty actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,387 in Almaty, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Almaty $1,387

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,135 in Almaty, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Almaty $2,135

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,883 in Almaty, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Almaty $2,883

Playa del Carmen is about 12% cheaper than Almaty, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while Almaty is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$13.31 ₸6,034

-17.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$43.37 ₸19.7K

3.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$8.80 ₸3,988

35.45%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$3.30 ₸1,497

15.15%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$1.37 ₸620

-4.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$0.90 ₸409

-4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$3.13 ₸1,419

2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$4.10 ₸1,860

22.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.66 ₸754

-12.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$0.90 ₸406

158.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$2.06 ₸933

-30.10%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$2.37 ₸1,074

3.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$12.64 ₸5,730

-39.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$6.62 ₸3,000

19.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$10.87 ₸4,928

17.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$1.86 ₸845

56.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$2.37 ₸1,075

-40.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$2.99 ₸1,358

-14.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$2.83 ₸1,282

-24.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$0.77 ₸347

153.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$0.58 ₸264

234.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$1.59 ₸723

-27.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$0.99 ₸449

23.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$2.54 ₸1,153

72.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$11.04 ₸5,005

-10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$1.21 ₸550

27.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$2.41 ₸1,093

12.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$0.25 ₸113

108.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$21.84 ₸9,901

25.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$1.28 ₸581

283.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$0.64 ₸291

450.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$10.74 ₸4,870

-47.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$0.69 ₸314

123.19%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$22.3K ₸10.1M

-4.65%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$29.3K ₸13.3M

-16.53%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$87.8 ₸39.8K

-4.73%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$10.83 ₸4,909

121.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$17.40 ₸7,887

68.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$69.7 ₸31.6K

-6.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$26.58 ₸12.1K

10.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$6.68 ₸3,031

-23.80%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$446 ₸202.2K

-53.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$11.9K ₸5.4M

-65.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$93.7 ₸42.5K

-52.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$46.91 ₸21.3K

-10.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$143 ₸64.7K

-47.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$133 ₸60.5K

-31.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$773 ₸350.6K

27.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$497 ₸225.5K

-22.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$1,390 ₸630.4K

23.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$880 ₸398.9K

25.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$2,546 ₸1.2M

57.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$1,506 ₸683.0K

314.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$834 ₸377.9K

-9.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

20.65

-44.55%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Almaty: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Almaty

$497 36.4% 29.1% $112

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Almaty

$251 18.4% 3.5% $9.1

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Almaty

$205 15% 0.7% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Almaty

$116 8.5% 15.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Almaty

$188 13.7% 64.4% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Almaty

$83 6.1% 10.7% $8

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Almaty

$27 2% 47.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $773 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 10% 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $43.00 in Almaty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $251 – making Almaty the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇿 Almaty

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

17:44 5:44 PM

11 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,475,400

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Almaty 12,730 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Almaty

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

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

Yes – Almaty is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,080 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $43.00 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 $1,215 in Playa del Carmen and $1,387 in Almaty. That's a gap of about 14%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, 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.