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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,029 in Astrakhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,529 in Astrakhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,029 in Astrakhan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 22% more expensive than in Astrakhan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Astrakhan 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$10.85 ₽863

8.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$34.14 ₽2,717

22.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.77 ₽618

35.26%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.86 ₽148

93.01%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.92 ₽73.1

64.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.49 ₽38.71

87.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.29 ₽102

129.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.56 ₽204

72.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.33 ₽105

5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.05 ₽83.7

79.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.06 ₽84.5

47.17%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.80 ₽143

45.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$24.51 ₽1,951

-66.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.73 ₽376

76.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$6.80 ₽541

59.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.55 ₽123

74.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.73 ₽138

-12.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.62 ₽129

15.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.39 ₽190

-8.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.91 ₽72.3

104.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.57 ₽45.29

291.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.39 ₽111

-23.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.65 ₽52.1

67.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.86 ₽148

125.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$3.78 ₽301

175.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.10 ₽87.5

50.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.88 ₽149

38.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.50 ₽39.66

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$22.08 ₽1,757

18.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.59 ₽206

18.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.35 ₽27.93

585.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$3.87 ₽308

-19.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.86 ₽68.3

52.33%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$34.3K ₽2.7M

-13.17%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$32.2K ₽2.6M

-27.60%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$105 ₽8,352

-22.54%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$6.54 ₽521

244.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$5.49 ₽437

447.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$48.36 ₽3,849

9.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$24.45 ₽1,946

-24.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.33 ₽424

-7.69%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$114 ₽9,090

75.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,933 ₽551.8K

-25.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$57.7 ₽4,589

-37.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$32.19 ₽2,562

24.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$90.2 ₽7,176

-11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$127 ₽10.1K

-32.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$407 ₽32.4K

140.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$316 ₽25.1K

48.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$449 ₽35.7K

267.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$381 ₽30.3K

215.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,268 ₽101.0K

211.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$633 ₽50.4K

943.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$414 ₽32.9K

63.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

15.33

-25.51%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Astrakhan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $407 in Astrakhan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 64% 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 $34.00 in Astrakhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $223 per month, with Astrakhan 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 Astrakhan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Astrakhan differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $1,029 including rent). Astrakhan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 64% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $407 in Astrakhan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Astrakhan runs roughly 18% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $114 in Astrakhan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,029 in Astrakhan versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Astrakhan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Astrakhan 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.

Expats usually find Astrakhan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.