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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,028 in Astrakhan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,530 in Astrakhan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,032 in Astrakhan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 25% more expensive than Astrakhan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Astrakhan 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$10.80 ₽811

10.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$33.14 ₽2,489

29.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.76 ₽583

36.47%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.87 ₽141

93.58%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.85 ₽64.0

72.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.52 ₽39.31

80.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.30 ₽97.9

137.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.57 ₽193

73.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.28 ₽95.9

11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.05 ₽79.1

79.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.02 ₽76.9

59.80%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.77 ₽133

49.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$24.66 ₽1,853

-66.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.98 ₽374

66.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$6.95 ₽522

59.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.64 ₽123

61.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.75 ₽131

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.62 ₽122

22.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.41 ₽181

-13.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.95 ₽71.6

88.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.56 ₽41.78

289.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.39 ₽105

-22.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.66 ₽49.68

57.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.89 ₽142

110.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.59 ₽495

54.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.06 ₽79.6

63.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.93 ₽145

29.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.53 ₽39.46

-1.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$21.96 ₽1,650

22.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.47 ₽186

27.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.33 ₽24.78

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.77 ₽283

-18.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.94 ₽70.6

35.11%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$34.7K ₽2.6M

-10.94%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$32.0K ₽2.4M

-27.23%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$102 ₽7,629

-19.26%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$6.47 ₽486

246.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$5.51 ₽414

438.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$48.96 ₽3,677

5.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$24.95 ₽1,874

-25.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.49 ₽412

-9.47%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$113 ₽8,517

74.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$6,984 ₽524.5K

-24.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$58.2 ₽4,370

-37.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$31.48 ₽2,364

27.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$90.3 ₽6,784

-11.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$126 ₽9,499

-29.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$418 ₽31.4K

130.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$313 ₽23.5K

48.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$440 ₽33.0K

263.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$382 ₽28.7K

216.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,686 ₽126.7K

133.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,201 ₽90.2K

436.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$508 ₽38.1K

41.88%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Astrakhan: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $418 in Astrakhan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 42% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Astrakhan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $231 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $1,028 including rent). Astrakhan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 42% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $418 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 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $113 in Astrakhan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,028 in Astrakhan versus $1,287 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 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.