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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $994 in Barnaul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,521 in Barnaul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,048 in Barnaul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 28% more expensive than Barnaul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Barnaul 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$7.43 ₽539

59.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$32.85 ₽2,380

30.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.17 ₽374

106.00%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.89 ₽209

19.38%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.26 ₽91.3

19.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.59 ₽42.73

61.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.86 ₽135

62.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.50 ₽181

84.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.04 ₽75.6

32.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.47 ₽33.74

293.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.60 ₽116

0.63%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.62 ₽117

59.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.95 ₽794

-24.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.99 ₽361

67.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.73 ₽705

9.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.01 ₽146

30.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.85 ₽134

-19.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.99 ₽144

-3.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.82 ₽204

-25.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.75 ₽54.5

148.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.63 ₽45.78

258.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.03 ₽74.7

2.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.48 ₽34.97

127.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.87 ₽208

44.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$9.32 ₽675

11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$0.93 ₽67.7

84.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.26 ₽91.3

107.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.53 ₽38.23

1.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$20.91 ₽1,515

28.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.87 ₽135

67.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.24 ₽17.47

945.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.00 ₽218

5.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.70 ₽50.6

81.43%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$19.8K ₽1.4M

53.61%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$27.1K ₽2.0M

-12.92%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$104 ₽7,553

-20.37%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.51 ₽399

312.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$8.35 ₽605

252.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$19.58 ₽1,419

160.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$7.74 ₽561

136.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.63 ₽408

-12.43%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$344 ₽24.9K

-42.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,935 ₽285.1K

34.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$59.2 ₽4,291

-37.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$32.16 ₽2,330

24.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$69.1 ₽5,008

15.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$66.7 ₽4,830

34.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$546 ₽39.6K

75.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$388 ₽28.1K

23.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$1,027 ₽74.4K

60.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$704 ₽51.0K

74.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$621 ₽45.0K

7.46%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barnaul: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $546 in Barnaul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 7% 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 Barnaul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $197 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 28% 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 7% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $546 in Barnaul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $994 in Barnaul – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barnaul runs roughly 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $994 in Barnaul versus $1,271 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 $994 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 28% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.