Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Astana: $1,133 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $850 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,133 in Astana, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Astana $1,133

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,810 in Astana, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Astana $1,810

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,486 in Astana, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Astana $2,486

Playa del Carmen costs about 6% more than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Astana are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Astana 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$11.06 ₸5,039

-1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$38.01 ₸17.3K

14.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$7.89 ₸3,596

49.30%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$2.65 ₸1,205

43.77%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$1.08 ₸490

18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$0.62 ₸282

25.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$1.34 ₸611

136.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$2.25 ₸1,024

119.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.26 ₸573

11.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$0.60 ₸275

270.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$1.55 ₸708

-8.39%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$2.18 ₸992

15.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$11.98 ₸5,459

-39.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$5.79 ₸2,638

32.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$10.57 ₸4,815

20.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$1.82 ₸830

52.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$2.31 ₸1,052

-40.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$2.29 ₸1,043

11.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$2.19 ₸996

-3.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$0.66 ₸299

193.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$0.46 ₸210

310.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$1.53 ₸695

-24.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$0.90 ₸412

31.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$2.37 ₸1,079

81.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$10.93 ₸4,978

-8.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$1.30 ₸590

21.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$2.35 ₸1,071

13.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.25 ₸114

120.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$16.60 ₸7,560

60.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$2.27 ₸1,032

118.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.13 ₸515

194.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$6.62 ₸3,016

-19.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$0.69 ₸312

108.70%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$28.0K ₸12.8M

-26.29%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$31.7K ₸14.4M

-25.86%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$68.4 ₸31.2K

23.96%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$10.08 ₸4,592

132.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$18.13 ₸8,258

58.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$58.7 ₸26.7K

-2.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$20.67 ₸9,414

39.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$6.27 ₸2,856

-18.02%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$487 ₸221.9K

-57.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$11.7K ₸5.3M

-66.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$64.6 ₸29.4K

-32.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$46.35 ₸21.1K

-10.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$120 ₸54.5K

-37.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$126 ₸57.5K

-29.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$564 ₸256.9K

73.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$391 ₸178.3K

-2.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,151 ₸524.1K

48.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$769 ₸350.1K

39.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,560 ₸710.5K

152.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

$1,120 ₸510.2K

449.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$867 ₸394.7K

-15.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.83

-22.79%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Astana

$391 34.5% 2.8% $11

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Astana

$226 20% 11.3% $29

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Astana

$162 14.3% 20% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Astana

$97 8.5% 29.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Astana

$161 14.2% 43.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Astana

$71 6.3% 5.7% $3.9

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Astana

$26 2.3% 49.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $564 in Astana. 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 18% higher in Astana, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $38 in Astana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $226 – making Astana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

12:11 12:11 PM

10 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

814,400 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 456 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Astana 11,760 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Astana

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 Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $1,133 in Astana – Astana comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,700 in Astana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Astana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $564 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $487 in Astana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,133 in Astana, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Astana costs $1,133 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

For expats, Astana is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 6% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.