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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,092 in Gatchina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,682 in Gatchina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,272 in Gatchina.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 19% more expensive than Gatchina, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Gatchina 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$9.35 ₽678

25.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$49.98 ₽3,621

-16.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$5.56 ₽403

87.23%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.62 ₽190

37.79%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.12 ₽81.2

30.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.57 ₽41.41

70.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$3.22 ₽234

-9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.74 ₽271

23.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.16 ₽84.2

23.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.93 ₽67.5

104.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.64 ₽118

-4.27%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$1.88 ₽136

40.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$11.96 ₽867

-29.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$5.55 ₽402

54.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$10.86 ₽787

1.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$1.68 ₽122

60.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.78 ₽129

-15.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.99 ₽144

-4.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$3.52 ₽255

-38.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$0.84 ₽61.1

122.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$0.63 ₽45.44

253.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.35 ₽97.5

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.72 ₽52.5

48.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.90 ₽210

43.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$9.40 ₽681

9.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$1.05 ₽76.4

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.05 ₽149

23.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.52 ₽37.79

5.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$9.60 ₽696

173.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$1.94 ₽141

64.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.59 ₽42.57

316.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$7.75 ₽562

-58.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$0.79 ₽57.4

67.09%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$37.7K ₽2.7M

-19.92%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$37.4K ₽2.7M

-37.50%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$135 ₽9,792

-39.80%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$6.89 ₽499

225.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$7.32 ₽530

309.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$34.93 ₽2,531

47.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$5.75 ₽416

-10.26%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$401 ₽29.1K

-49.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$7,083 ₽513.2K

-25.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$99.9 ₽7,242

-64.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$53.2 ₽3,852

-24.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$118 ₽8,538

-33.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$135 ₽9,753

-35.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$452 ₽32.8K

110.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$302 ₽21.9K

58.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$753 ₽54.6K

115.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$508 ₽36.8K

140.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$2,450 ₽177.5K

63.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,467 ₽106.3K

341.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

24.95

-54.23%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Gatchina: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $452 in Gatchina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $50.0 in Gatchina. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $222, with Gatchina cheaper for home cooking.

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 19% 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 $1,941 in Playa del Carmen and $1,638 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $452 in Gatchina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,092 in Gatchina – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gatchina runs roughly 174% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,092 in Gatchina versus $1,294 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 $1,092 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 19% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.