Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Atyrau

For one person, living is cheaper in Atyrau: $1,022 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Atyrau, Kazakhstan
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Atyrau
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$1,022
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,022 in Atyrau, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Atyrau $1,022

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,690 in Atyrau, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Atyrau $1,690

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,358 in Atyrau, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Atyrau $2,358

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Atyrau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Atyrau are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Atyrau 25% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Atyrau
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$9.88 ₸4,484
10.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$815
$37.21 ₸16.9K
16.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$7.53 ₸3,417
56.44%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.6
$2.13 ₸964
78.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.10
$1.16 ₸528
10.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.71
$0.84 ₸381
-7.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$1.65 ₸747
92.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$2.08 ₸945
137.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Atyrau
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.43
$1.75 ₸794
-19.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.66
$0.48 ₸218
362.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.64
$2.01 ₸913
-29.35%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.41
$1.55 ₸701
62.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$137
$11.16 ₸5,064
-34.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$145
$8.35 ₸3,789
-7.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$239
$8.11 ₸3,677
56.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$1.77 ₸803
57.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.71
$2.74 ₸1,242
-50.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.94
$2.21 ₸1,002
15.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.90
$1.80 ₸816
17.78%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.43
$0.65 ₸297
198.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.44
$0.41 ₸186
360.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.55
$1.25 ₸568
-8.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.16
$0.96 ₸436
22.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.7
$2.48 ₸1,125
73.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$9.17 ₸4,160
8.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.76
$1.38 ₸625
14.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.2
$1.42 ₸643
88.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Atyrau
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.40
$0.34 ₸155
61.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
$21.99 ₸9,973
21.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.4
$1.54 ₸698
222.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.6
$0.72 ₸326
362.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$6.54 ₸2,967
-18.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.14
$0.66 ₸301
118.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.4K
$17.7K ₸8.0M
16.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$441.0K
$29.0K ₸13.1M
-19.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Atyrau
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,594
$52.1 ₸23.6K
62.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$440
$11.04 ₸5,006
112.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$539
$14.67 ₸6,655
95.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Atyrau
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,072
$66.3 ₸30.1K
-13.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
$10.11 ₸4,586
185.95%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.6
$6.15 ₸2,788
-16.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Atyrau
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,882
$288 ₸130.7K
-28.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.8K
$3,426 ₸1.6M
14.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Atyrau
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$815
$32.74 ₸14.9K
32.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$779
$44.83 ₸20.3K
-7.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,394
$90.1 ₸40.9K
-17.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,677
$89.8 ₸40.7K
-0.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Atyrau
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$530 ₸240.3K
84.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,157
$347 ₸157.4K
9.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$1,146 ₸519.8K
49.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$781 ₸354.3K
37.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.1K
$946 ₸429.0K
316.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.7K
$752 ₸341.1K
718.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Atyrau
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$740 ₸335.7K
-0.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
30
-61.83%

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 Atyrau: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Atyrau
$347 8.9% $34
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Atyrau
$227 11.1% $28
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Atyrau
$148 27.1% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Atyrau
$78 43.1% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Atyrau
$116 3.7% $4.1
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Atyrau
$79 16.7% $11
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Atyrau
$28 43.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $530 in Atyrau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $37 in Atyrau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $227 – making Atyrau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇰🇿 Atyrau
🕒 Local time
23:38 11:38 PM
09:38 9:38 AM
10 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
323,295
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Atyrau 11,440 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Atyrau

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 Atyrau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Atyrau compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $1,022 in Atyrau – Atyrau comes out roughly 15% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Atyrau?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,533 in Atyrau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Atyrau?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Atyrau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $530 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Atyrau?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $288 in Atyrau. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 12% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.
How far does $2,000 go in Playa del Carmen compared to Atyrau?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,022 in Atyrau, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Atyrau?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,022 in Atyrau to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Where should expats move: Playa del Carmen or Atyrau?
For expats, Atyrau is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 15% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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