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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $980 in Barnaul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,448 in Barnaul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,915 in Barnaul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than in Barnaul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Barnaul 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$11.75 ₽993

-1.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$39.78 ₽3,361

18.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.84 ₽493

103.42%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$2.51 ₽212

58.57%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$0.74 ₽62.9

93.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.58 ₽48.89

41.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.16 ₽97.7

175.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$1.38 ₽117

392.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$1.02 ₽86.3

64.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$0.57 ₽48.56

285.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$1.44 ₽122

18.75%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$1.60 ₽135

71.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.58 ₽978

-17.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.89 ₽413

84.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$11.29 ₽954

13.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$1.89 ₽159

52.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.59 ₽134

-5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$1.85 ₽156

16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$2.09 ₽177

8.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.37 ₽31.36

435.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.49 ₽41.62

306.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$0.29 ₽24.44

324.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$0.39 ₽33.01

207.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$3.07 ₽259

48.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.41 ₽795

10.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$0.93 ₽78.3

74.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$1.39 ₽117

107.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

$0.55 ₽46.67

9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

$25.82 ₽2,182

11.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$1.51 ₽128

256.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.48 ₽40.72

677.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$5.88 ₽497

-1.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$0.78 ₽66.1

97.44%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$23.3K ₽2.0M

-3.39%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$33.5K ₽2.8M

-22.32%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$112 ₽9,476

-18.53%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$5.23 ₽442

381.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$8.87 ₽750

252.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

$17.56 ₽1,484

65.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.24 ₽359

14.62%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$358 ₽30.3K

-37.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$14.2K ₽1.2M

-70.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$35.29 ₽2,982

33.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$29.89 ₽2,525

48.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$128 ₽10.8K

-37.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$97.0 ₽8,194

-4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$415 ₽35.0K

156.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

$329 ₽27.8K

18.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

$568 ₽48.0K

278.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$440 ₽37.2K

188.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

$1,924 ₽162.5K

108.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

$1,533 ₽129.6K

324.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$612 ₽51.7K

23.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

22.83

-49.85%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Barnaul: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $415 in Barnaul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 24% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $40.00 in Barnaul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $192 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 29% 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 24% 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $415 in Barnaul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $980 in Barnaul – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barnaul runs roughly 12% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $980 in Barnaul versus $1,266 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 $980 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 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.