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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,178 in Ashgabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,791 in Ashgabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $6,405 in Ashgabat.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 59% less than in Ashgabat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Ashgabat is 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$34.57 TMT 116

-66.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$84.5 TMT 283

-50.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$14.03 TMT 47.01

-24.16%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$6.85 TMT 22.95

-48.61%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$3.28 TMT 10.99

-53.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.94 TMT 3.16

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$5.17 TMT 17.33

-42.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$14.45 TMT 48.42

-69.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$4.78 TMT 16.00

-71.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$2.45 TMT 8.22

-22.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$7.14 TMT 23.92

-77.03%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$6.07 TMT 20.33

-58.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$40.72 TMT 136

-79.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$18.21 TMT 61.0

-54.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$18.32 TMT 61.4

-41.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$5.58 TMT 18.70

-53.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$8.68 TMT 29.09

-83.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$7.52 TMT 25.18

-74.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$3.56 TMT 11.94

-41.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$2.24 TMT 7.50

-20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.82 TMT 6.08

20.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.97 TMT 6.61

-47.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.08 TMT 3.62

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$25.93 TMT 86.9

-84.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$41.52 TMT 139

-75.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$4.62 TMT 15.46

-62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$2.85 TMT 9.53

-9.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.14 TMT 0.48

264.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$8.58 TMT 28.75

208.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$2.93 TMT 9.82

11.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$0.88 TMT 2.94

182.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$8.80 TMT 29.48

-63.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.42 TMT 1.39

211.90%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$44.7K TMT 149.9K

-32.31%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$57.6K TMT 192.9K

-59.32%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$565 TMT 1,892

-85.33%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$56.7 TMT 190

-60.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$103 TMT 346

-71.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$192 TMT 643

-73.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$44.56 TMT 149

-58.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$14.24 TMT 47.72

-64.40%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$23.29 TMT 78.0

762.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$26.2K TMT 87.6K

-80.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$64.8 TMT 217

-43.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$122 TMT 410

-67.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$305 TMT 1,022

-74.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$187 TMT 627

-53.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$1,132 TMT 3,793

-14.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$736 TMT 2,467

-36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$1,786 TMT 5,982

-8.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$1,588 TMT 5,320

-23.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$3,519 TMT 11.8K

12.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$2,912 TMT 9,754

123.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$742 TMT 2,487

-10.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.5

20.21%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $1,132 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashgabat pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $84.0 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $664 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 145% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $3,178 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ashgabat earns 12% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.29 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 167% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,178 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 145% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.