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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $790 in Kaluga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,228 in Kaluga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,665 in Kaluga.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 59% more expensive than in Kaluga, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kaluga 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$5.56 ₽442

110.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$22.22 ₽1,769

88.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.00 ₽398

110.20%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.08 ₽165

72.60%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.31 ₽105

15.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.52 ₽41.18

76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.43 ₽114

106.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.07 ₽245

43.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.05 ₽83.6

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.67 ₽53.5

180.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.48 ₽117

5.41%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.71 ₽136

52.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.12 ₽646

2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.84 ₽305

117.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$7.52 ₽598

44.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.85 ₽147

46.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.68 ₽133

-10.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.91 ₽152

-2.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$3.14 ₽250

-30.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.77 ₽61.6

141.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.66 ₽52.9

237.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$3.16 ₽251

-66.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.64 ₽51.3

70.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.86 ₽228

46.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$8.93 ₽710

16.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$0.73 ₽57.8

127.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.95 ₽155

33.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.45 ₽36.16

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$18.75 ₽1,492

39.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$3.76 ₽299

-18.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.11 ₽8.53

2081.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.25 ₽498

-49.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.73 ₽58.3

79.45%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$34.7K ₽2.8M

-14.00%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$35.8K ₽2.9M

-34.88%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$76.3 ₽6,071

6.55%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$5.72 ₽456

294.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$4.97 ₽396

504.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$35.23 ₽2,804

50.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$7.71 ₽614

-36.19%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$354 ₽28.2K

-43.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$6,934 ₽551.9K

-25.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$72.8 ₽5,794

-50.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$38.27 ₽3,046

4.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$114 ₽9,076

-30.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$75.8 ₽6,030

14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$254 ₽20.2K

285.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$198 ₽15.8K

137.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$445 ₽35.4K

271.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$338 ₽26.9K

256.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,587 ₽126.3K

149.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,364 ₽108.6K

384.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$799 ₽63.6K

-15.29%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kaluga: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $254 in Kaluga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaluga pays 18% 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 $252 vs $188 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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $790 including rent). Kaluga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Kaluga. 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $254 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 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $354 in Kaluga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $790 in Kaluga versus $1,260 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 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.