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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,024 in Korolyov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,437 in Korolyov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,851 in Korolyov.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 23% more expensive than in Korolyov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Korolyov 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$8.64 ₽690

35.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$20.55 ₽1,640

103.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$5.16 ₽412

103.68%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.05 ₽164

75.12%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.90 ₽72.2

67.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.37 ₽29.41

148.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$4.23 ₽338

-30.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$1.92 ₽153

129.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.15 ₽91.7

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.45 ₽35.63

317.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.31 ₽105

19.08%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.61 ₽129

62.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$12.09 ₽965

-31.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$5.19 ₽414

60.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$8.01 ₽639

35.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.88 ₽150

44.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$1.63 ₽130

-7.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$2.34 ₽186

-20.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$4.18 ₽333

-47.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.44 ₽34.73

322.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.81 ₽64.3

175.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$1.68 ₽134

-36.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.52 ₽41.76

109.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$2.60 ₽207

61.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$10.15 ₽810

2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.12 ₽89.7

48.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$1.43 ₽114

82.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.73 ₽58.4

-26.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

$21.71 ₽1,732

20.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$2.52 ₽201

22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.47 ₽37.70

410.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$8.21 ₽655

-61.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$0.73 ₽58.5

79.45%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$38.2K ₽3.0M

-22.00%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$20.3K ₽1.6M

14.69%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$124 ₽9,924

-34.66%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$5.57 ₽444

305.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$7.77 ₽620

286.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$32.03 ₽2,555

65.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

$15.50 ₽1,237

18.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$5.43 ₽434

-9.39%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$687 ₽54.8K

-70.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$14.6K ₽1.2M

-64.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$56.7 ₽4,520

-36.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$25.70 ₽2,050

56.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$37.46 ₽2,989

112.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$57.9 ₽4,616

49.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$460 ₽36.7K

112.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$370 ₽29.5K

27.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$695 ₽55.5K

137.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$500 ₽39.8K

140.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$2,566 ₽204.7K

54.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$2,334 ₽186.2K

183.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$1,029 ₽82.1K

-34.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-23.87%

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 Korolyov: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $460 in Korolyov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Korolyov pays 52% 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 $21.00 in Korolyov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $208 per month, with Korolyov 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 Korolyov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Korolyov wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Korolyov the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Korolyov. 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 $460 in Korolyov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Korolyov runs roughly 20% 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 $687 in Korolyov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,024 in Korolyov versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Korolyov but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Korolyov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Korolyov delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,024 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Korolyov hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Korolyov 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 Korolyov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.