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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,334 in Ashgabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,091 in Ashgabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $6,848 in Ashgabat.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 61% less than in Ashgabat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Ashgabat is 143% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$31.57 TMT 106

-62.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$85.0 TMT 285

-45.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$12.85 TMT 43.06

-9.34%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$6.88 TMT 23.05

-40.55%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$1.59 TMT 5.34

-13.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.82 TMT 2.75

1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$5.80 TMT 19.44

-42.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$13.72 TMT 45.96

-49.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$4.41 TMT 14.77

-60.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$2.09 TMT 6.99

8.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$6.01 TMT 20.14

-70.55%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$6.10 TMT 20.44

-55.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$37.39 TMT 125

-75.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$19.96 TMT 66.9

-55.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$23.41 TMT 78.4

-46.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$4.96 TMT 16.61

-39.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$8.53 TMT 28.59

-81.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$7.59 TMT 25.42

-71.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$3.60 TMT 12.05

-37.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$2.32 TMT 7.78

-13.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$1.40 TMT 4.69

47.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$2.59 TMT 8.67

-54.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$1.09 TMT 3.64

10.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$25.76 TMT 86.3

-82.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$40.58 TMT 136

-73.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$5.11 TMT 17.11

-68.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.88 TMT 9.65

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.14 TMT 0.48

307.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$10.09 TMT 33.80

195.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$2.76 TMT 9.26

97.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.82 TMT 2.75

351.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$8.75 TMT 29.31

-31.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.44 TMT 1.49

252.27%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$43.6K TMT 146.1K

-48.79%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$58.1K TMT 194.6K

-55.33%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$577 TMT 1,934

-84.56%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$56.5 TMT 189

-55.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$103 TMT 344

-69.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$196 TMT 657

-65.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$44.21 TMT 148

-34.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$8.70 TMT 29.14

-41.95%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$23.24 TMT 77.8

867.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$24.7K TMT 82.8K

-82.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$55.0 TMT 184

-13.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$113 TMT 378

-60.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$362 TMT 1,212

-77.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$193 TMT 645

-52.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$1,132 TMT 3,793

-5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$996 TMT 3,337

-59.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$2,279 TMT 7,636

-15.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,950 TMT 6,532

-33.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$3,565 TMT 11.9K

12.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$2,854 TMT 9,559

132.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$737 TMT 2,470

1.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.5

20.53%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $1,132 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $85.0 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $666 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Ashgabat differ by about 158% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $3,334 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,132 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.24 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 140% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,334 in Ashgabat, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ashgabat are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.