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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,004 in Barnaul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,530 in Barnaul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,056 in Barnaul.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Barnaul 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$7.49 ₽596

56.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$32.37 ₽2,576

29.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.95 ₽394

112.32%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.90 ₽231

23.79%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.32 ₽105

14.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.58 ₽46.37

58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.89 ₽150

56.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.57 ₽205

71.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.06 ₽84.1

32.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.46 ₽36.35

308.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.67 ₽133

-6.59%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.68 ₽133

55.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.92 ₽869

-23.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.05 ₽402

65.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.53 ₽758

13.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.07 ₽165

30.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.87 ₽149

-19.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.91 ₽152

-2.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.82 ₽224

-22.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.80 ₽64.1

132.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.67 ₽53.5

232.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.03 ₽81.8

3.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.47 ₽37.62

131.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.77 ₽220

51.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$9.81 ₽781

6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$0.91 ₽72.7

82.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.31 ₽104

99.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.53 ₽42.57

1.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$20.18 ₽1,606

29.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.88 ₽149

63.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.22 ₽17.47

990.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$2.97 ₽236

5.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.75 ₽59.7

74.67%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.2K ₽1.6M

47.20%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$26.5K ₽2.1M

-12.08%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$108 ₽8,574

-24.55%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$5.47 ₽435

312.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$8.46 ₽673

255.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$19.97 ₽1,590

164.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$7.70 ₽613

138.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.57 ₽443

-11.67%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$343 ₽27.3K

-41.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,965 ₽315.6K

30.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$58.1 ₽4,622

-38.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$31.40 ₽2,499

27.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$68.7 ₽5,465

16.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$65.1 ₽5,179

32.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$547 ₽43.5K

78.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$379 ₽30.1K

24.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$1,019 ₽81.1K

62.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$713 ₽56.7K

68.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,087 ₽166.1K

89.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,677 ₽133.5K

294.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$639 ₽50.9K

5.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

15.03

-24.02%

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 Barnaul: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $547 in Barnaul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 6% 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 $32.00 in Barnaul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $199 per month, with Barnaul 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 Barnaul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barnaul wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barnaul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% 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 $547 in Barnaul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,004 in Barnaul – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barnaul runs roughly 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,004 in Barnaul versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barnaul but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Barnaul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Barnaul delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,004 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Barnaul hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Barnaul 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 Barnaul 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.