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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,071 in Gatchina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,654 in Gatchina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,237 in Gatchina.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 18% more expensive than in Gatchina, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Gatchina 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.88 ₽916

6.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$40.49 ₽3,407

16.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$5.88 ₽495

102.04%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.90 ₽244

37.24%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.44 ₽121

-0.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.67 ₽56.5

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.54 ₽214

25.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.40 ₽286

99.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.07 ₽90.0

57.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.88 ₽74.2

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.58 ₽133

8.23%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.62 ₽136

69.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$11.59 ₽975

-17.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.02 ₽507

49.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$12.08 ₽1,017

6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.68 ₽141

72.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.59 ₽134

-5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.74 ₽146

23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$3.01 ₽253

-24.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.74 ₽62.2

167.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.59 ₽49.51

237.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.24 ₽105

-0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.72 ₽60.4

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.99 ₽251

52.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.48 ₽714

22.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.10 ₽92.5

47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.91 ₽160

50.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.49 ₽41.27

22.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$2.63 ₽221

104.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.33 ₽27.93

1030.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$8.27 ₽696

-30.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.85 ₽71.8

81.18%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$35.6K ₽3.0M

-36.66%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$32.1K ₽2.7M

-18.88%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$137 ₽11.5K

-33.25%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$7.47 ₽628

237.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$7.97 ₽670

291.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$34.63 ₽2,914

94.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$23.06 ₽1,940

26.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$6.92 ₽582

-29.77%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$312 ₽26.3K

-28.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$6,398 ₽538.3K

-33.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$86.8 ₽7,305

-45.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$50.1 ₽4,216

-11.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$133 ₽11.2K

-39.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$118 ₽9,946

-21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$463 ₽38.9K

129.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$312 ₽26.2K

25.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$777 ₽65.4K

176.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$537 ₽45.2K

136.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,261 ₽190.2K

76.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,420 ₽119.5K

357.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

20.04

-42.86%

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 Gatchina: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $463 in Gatchina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $40.00 in Gatchina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $217 per month, with Gatchina 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 Gatchina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gatchina wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gatchina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,607 in Gatchina to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $463 in Gatchina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $312 in Gatchina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gatchina – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,071 in Gatchina versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gatchina but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gatchina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Gatchina delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,071 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gatchina hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Gatchina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.