Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Apatity

For one person, living is cheaper in Apatity: $1,070 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Apatity
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,070
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Apatity actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,070 in Apatity, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Apatity $1,070

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,672 in Apatity, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Apatity $1,672

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,275 in Apatity, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Apatity $2,275

Playa del Carmen costs about 13% more than Apatity, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and Apatity are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Apatity 21% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Apatity
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$12.81 ₽1,069
-15.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$33.57 ₽2,801
31.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$6.93 ₽578
69.70%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$2.72 ₽227
35.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$1.07 ₽89.0
25.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$0.57 ₽47.60
43.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$1.69 ₽141
81.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$3.41 ₽285
44.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Apatity
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.05 ₽87.8
40.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$40.95
$0.66 ₽54.8
236.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.32
$1.23 ₽103
20.33%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$45.99
$1.73 ₽145
43.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$139
$12.08 ₽1,008
-37.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$147
$6.03 ₽503
32.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$232
$12.86 ₽1,073
-2.26%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.3
$1.82 ₽152
52.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$1.67 ₽140
-14.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$1.61 ₽134
62.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.49
$3.04 ₽254
-29.61%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.38
$0.84 ₽69.8
140.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.74
$0.64 ₽53.8
210.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.01
$1.25 ₽104
-8.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.18
$0.68 ₽56.7
76.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
$2.84 ₽237
50.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$8.52 ₽711
17.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.41
$0.98 ₽81.6
57.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.17
$1.93 ₽161
37.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Apatity
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.73
$0.59 ₽48.86
-10.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$508
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$90.6
$2.25 ₽188
117.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$63.5
$0.34 ₽28.42
908.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$99.4
$5.41 ₽452
-0.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$26.76
$0.82 ₽68.8
76.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$391.0K
$56.8K ₽4.7M
-62.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$425.3K
$41.0K ₽3.4M
-43.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Apatity
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
$134 ₽11.2K
-36.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
$7.14 ₽596
228.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
$9.70 ₽810
193.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Apatity
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,149
$33.93 ₽2,832
83.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$530
$27.18 ₽2,269
5.52%
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$94.3
$7.27 ₽607
-29.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Apatity
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
$401 ₽33.5K
-49.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
$5,935 ₽495.3K
-33.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Apatity
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
$90.8 ₽7,578
-51.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
$45.47 ₽3,795
-9.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
$114 ₽9,533
-36.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
$100 ₽8,361
-10.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Apatity
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.1K
$417 ₽34.8K
134.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,887
$312 ₽26.0K
19.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.1K
$982 ₽81.9K
71.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
$587 ₽49.0K
86.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
$1,948 ₽162.6K
102.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
$1,630 ₽136.0K
276.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Apatity
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
27.67
-58.62%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Apatity: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Apatity
$312 16.4% $61
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Apatity
$217 15.9% $41
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Apatity
$178 11.2% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Apatity
$151 9.8% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Apatity
$158 41.3% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Apatity
$48 33.1% $24
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Apatity
$6.3 * 87.8% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $417 in Apatity. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Apatity. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $217 – making Apatity the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇷🇺 Apatity
🕒 Local time
06:38 6:38 AM
14:38 2:38 PM
8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
48,748
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Apatity 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Apatity

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 Apatity: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Apatity cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,605 in Apatity. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Apatity, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Apatity?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,070 in Apatity. That's a gap of about 13%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $401 in Apatity. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Apatity?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Apatity, where all-in costs run around $1,070, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Apatity it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Apatity more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Apatity – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Apatity?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Apatity. 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.

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