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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,096 in Ishim, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,651 in Ishim, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,205 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

$11.87 MX$204

$10.09 ₽731

17.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$35.16 ₽2,548

22.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$8.96 ₽649

18.86%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.59 ₽187

33.20%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.92 ₽66.4

63.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.55 ₽39.76

72.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.11 ₽80.2

172.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.85 ₽134

149.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.14 ₽82.3

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.64 ₽46.14

189.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.27 ₽92.4

26.77%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.66 ₽121

56.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.71 ₽776

-22.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.22 ₽306

98.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.51 ₽906

-14.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.69 ₽122

55.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.82 ₽132

-18.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.78 ₽129

7.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.25 ₽163

-7.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.90 ₽65.0

106.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.67 ₽48.90

237.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.02 ₽74.0

3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.70 ₽50.5

55.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.90 ₽210

43.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.33 ₽531

41.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.00 ₽72.2

72.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.24 ₽90.2

110.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.50 ₽36.00

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$3.02 ₽219

3.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.24 ₽17.42

945.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.05 ₽438

-47.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.72 ₽51.9

76.39%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$25.7K ₽1.9M

18.19%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$23.0K ₽1.7M

2.68%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$159 ₽11.5K

-47.76%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$4.90 ₽355

363.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$10.69 ₽774

175.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$36.06 ₽2,613

41.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.51 ₽327

9.31%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$179 ₽13.0K

10.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$8,601 ₽623.2K

-38.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$99.1 ₽7,177

-62.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$46.46 ₽3,367

-14.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$152 ₽11.0K

-47.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$161 ₽11.7K

-44.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$443 ₽32.1K

116.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$300 ₽21.8K

58.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$752 ₽54.5K

118.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$514 ₽37.3K

138.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,261 ₽163.8K

73.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,523 ₽110.4K

324.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ishim: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $443 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $35.00 in Ishim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $197 – 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,644 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $35.00 in Ishim. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 $1,096, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.