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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $750 in Karaganda, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,184 in Karaganda, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,617 in Karaganda, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 67% more than Karaganda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Karaganda are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Karaganda 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.45 ₸3,969

41.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$29.19 ₸13.7K

43.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.97 ₸2,334

116.30%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.85 ₸871

89.19%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.65 ₸304

123.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.46 ₸217

91.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.01 ₸474

192.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.96 ₸1,391

52.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.02 ₸477

40.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.46 ₸217

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.24 ₸581

26.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.72 ₸808

45.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.63 ₸4,526

-14.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.26 ₸2,004

97.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$7.18 ₸3,375

48.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.30 ₸613

100.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.43 ₸672

0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.97 ₸927

-0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.93 ₸905

8.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.59 ₸278

213.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.38 ₸177

471.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.01 ₸475

1.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.75 ₸352

42.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.74 ₸817

135.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.02 ₸3,768

26.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.00 ₸469

68.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.69 ₸795

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.19 ₸88.6

168.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$11.90 ₸5,592

118.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.72 ₸809

87.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.43 ₸201

460.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$4.42 ₸2,079

-26.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.48 ₸226

175.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$19.2K ₸9.0M

54.34%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$25.4K ₸11.9M

-6.77%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$54.0 ₸25.4K

51.95%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$8.42 ₸3,956

172.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$13.22 ₸6,212

127.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$31.87 ₸15.0K

63.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$11.87 ₸5,577

56.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.56 ₸2,143

9.21%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$242 ₸113.8K

-18.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,868 ₸2.3M

9.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$55.5 ₸26.1K

-35.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$35.07 ₸16.5K

15.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$89.1 ₸41.9K

-11.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$86.0 ₸40.4K

3.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$331 ₸155.7K

185.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$210 ₸98.6K

126.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$573 ₸269.2K

187.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$398 ₸187.2K

203.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$996 ₸468.3K

307.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$684 ₸321.4K

846.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$533 ₸250.6K

22.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.12

-29.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $331 in Karaganda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $29.00 in Karaganda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $171 – making Karaganda 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 Karaganda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $750 in Karaganda – roughly 67% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,125 in Karaganda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 119% less in Karaganda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $242 in Karaganda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $750, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Karaganda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $750 in Karaganda to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Karaganda. 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.