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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,087 in Ishim, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,640 in Ishim, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,192 in Ishim, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 16% more than Ishim, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ishim are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ishim 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$10.18 ₽811

15.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$34.30 ₽2,730

22.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$9.05 ₽720

16.13%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.61 ₽208

37.55%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.93 ₽74.3

62.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.54 ₽42.69

70.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.06 ₽84.7

179.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.87 ₽149

135.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.13 ₽90.0

23.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.60 ₽47.60

213.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.31 ₽104

19.08%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.62 ₽129

61.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.83 ₽862

-23.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.19 ₽334

99.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$12.23 ₽973

-11.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.69 ₽135

60.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.89 ₽150

-20.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.73 ₽138

8.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.23 ₽177

-1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.96 ₽76.4

93.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.67 ₽53.3

232.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.08 ₽85.9

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.73 ₽58.2

49.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.97 ₽236

41.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$7.25 ₽577

43.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$0.95 ₽76.0

74.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.24 ₽98.4

110.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.52 ₽41.65

3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.89 ₽230

6.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.24 ₽19.16

900.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.00 ₽477

-47.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.76 ₽60.8

72.37%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$25.7K ₽2.0M

16.03%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$23.6K ₽1.9M

-1.13%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$158 ₽12.6K

-48.49%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$5.02 ₽400

349.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$10.75 ₽855

179.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$35.72 ₽2,843

48.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.41 ₽351

11.56%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$180 ₽14.3K

11.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$8,649 ₽688.4K

-40.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$97.4 ₽7,748

-63.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$45.60 ₽3,629

-12.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$151 ₽12.0K

-47.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$163 ₽12.9K

-46.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$447 ₽35.6K

118.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$308 ₽24.5K

52.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$760 ₽60.5K

117.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$504 ₽40.1K

138.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,595 ₽206.5K

52.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,520 ₽120.9K

334.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

22.38

-48.97%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ishim: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $447 in Ishim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Ishim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $196 – making Ishim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ishim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 16%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,631 in Ishim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ishim, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $34.00 in Ishim. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ishim, where all-in costs run around $1,087, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Ishim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ishim – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ishim. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.