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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $805 in Kaluga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,231 in Kaluga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,656 in Kaluga.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 61% more expensive than Kaluga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Kaluga 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$5.58 ₽404

110.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$21.88 ₽1,586

90.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$5.00 ₽363

108.20%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$2.04 ₽148

76.96%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$1.35 ₽97.6

8.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.56 ₽40.85

73.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$1.42 ₽103

105.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$3.05 ₽221

51.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.09 ₽79.1

31.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$0.71 ₽51.6

167.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$1.51 ₽109

3.97%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$1.72 ₽125

53.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$8.26 ₽599

2.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$3.86 ₽279

122.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$7.58 ₽549

45.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$1.94 ₽141

39.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.68 ₽122

-10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.93 ₽140

-1.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$3.10 ₽225

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$0.74 ₽53.3

152.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$0.70 ₽50.7

218.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$3.16 ₽229

-65.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$0.66 ₽47.89

62.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$2.95 ₽214

41.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$9.53 ₽691

7.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$0.74 ₽53.4

127.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$1.95 ₽141

29.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$0.42 ₽30.34

30.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$18.91 ₽1,371

39.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$3.89 ₽282

-17.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$0.11 ₽7.89

2136.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$6.42 ₽465

-50.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$0.78 ₽56.8

69.23%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$33.7K ₽2.4M

-10.51%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$35.5K ₽2.6M

-34.10%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$77.3 ₽5,598

5.29%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$5.62 ₽408

298.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$5.21 ₽378

475.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$36.02 ₽2,610

43.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$7.65 ₽554

-32.55%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$349 ₽25.3K

-42.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$6,973 ₽505.3K

-23.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$71.7 ₽5,195

-50.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$37.84 ₽2,742

6.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$117 ₽8,442

-32.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$77.4 ₽5,608

12.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$253 ₽18.3K

275.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$197 ₽14.3K

142.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$442 ₽32.0K

266.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$332 ₽24.1K

267.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$1,684 ₽122.0K

138.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$1,458 ₽105.7K

343.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

$873 ₽63.3K

-22.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.5

-21.24%

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 Kaluga: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $253 in Kaluga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaluga pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Kaluga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $192 per month, with Kaluga 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 Kaluga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Kaluga differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $805 including rent). Kaluga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kaluga earns 30% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $253 in Kaluga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kaluga runs roughly 39% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $349 in Kaluga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $805 in Kaluga versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kaluga but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kaluga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Kaluga 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 Kaluga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.