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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $970 in Barnaul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,522 in Barnaul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,073 in Barnaul.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 33% more expensive than Barnaul, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Barnaul 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$7.52 ₽565

58.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$32.40 ₽2,433

31.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.93 ₽370

114.81%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.78 ₽209

30.22%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.28 ₽95.9

14.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.59 ₽44.18

59.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.87 ₽140

65.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.60 ₽196

71.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.09 ₽82.1

31.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.47 ₽35.27

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.69 ₽127

-3.55%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.65 ₽124

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$10.85 ₽815

-24.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.19 ₽390

59.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.93 ₽746

11.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.06 ₽155

28.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.87 ₽141

-19.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.93 ₽145

3.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.87 ₽216

-27.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.75 ₽56.3

138.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.66 ₽49.80

230.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.03 ₽77.1

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.48 ₽35.73

116.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.73 ₽205

45.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.30 ₽473

61.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.92 ₽68.8

88.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.25 ₽93.9

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.52 ₽39.24

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$20.37 ₽1,530

32.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.92 ₽144

63.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.24 ₽18.14

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$2.97 ₽223

4.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.76 ₽57.0

67.11%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$20.1K ₽1.5M

53.59%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$26.8K ₽2.0M

-12.97%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$104 ₽7,828

-21.31%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$5.42 ₽407

314.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$8.69 ₽653

241.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$20.05 ₽1,506

158.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$7.49 ₽563

149.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.63 ₽423

-11.72%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$342 ₽25.7K

-42.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$3,899 ₽292.8K

35.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$58.6 ₽4,400

-37.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$31.72 ₽2,382

26.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$69.0 ₽5,182

15.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$66.0 ₽4,954

34.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$532 ₽39.9K

81.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$375 ₽28.1K

24.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$1,027 ₽77.2K

55.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$714 ₽53.6K

69.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,140 ₽160.7K

84.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,806 ₽135.6K

257.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$572 ₽42.9K

26.01%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Barnaul: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $532 in Barnaul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 26% 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 $32.00 in Barnaul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $194 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 33% 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 26% 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 $532 in Barnaul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $970 in Barnaul – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barnaul runs roughly 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $970 in Barnaul versus $1,287 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 $970 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 33% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.