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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,256 in Korolyov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,826 in Korolyov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,397 in Korolyov.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 4% more expensive than in Korolyov, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Korolyov 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$11.76 ₽989

1.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$58.8 ₽4,944

-19.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$6.96 ₽585

68.82%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.73 ₽230

50.92%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.90 ₽75.8

55.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.57 ₽47.85

59.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$0.90 ₽75.3

256.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$1.42 ₽119

397.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.18 ₽99.4

42.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.85 ₽71.2

152.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.13 ₽95.1

56.64%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.52 ₽128

85.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$8.62 ₽724

6.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.75 ₽483

60.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.57 ₽972

9.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.61 ₽136

83.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.42 ₽120

11.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.53 ₽129

45.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$3.44 ₽289

-31.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.65 ₽54.9

206.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.37 ₽30.79

435.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.39 ₽117

-10.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.92 ₽77.1

31.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.04 ₽171

125.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$10.66 ₽896

-1.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$0.71 ₽59.5

138.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$1.42 ₽119

95.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.90 ₽75.3

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$3.51 ₽295

49.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.18 ₽15.24

1927.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$3.47 ₽292

66.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.79 ₽66.4

94.94%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$34.9K ₽2.9M

-34.69%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$27.1K ₽2.3M

-4.81%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$121 ₽10.2K

-25.23%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$4.78 ₽402

426.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$8.35 ₽702

280.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$142 ₽11.9K

-51.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.08 ₽427

-4.33%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$177 ₽14.9K

27.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$3,543 ₽297.8K

18.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$58.5 ₽4,913

-18.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$28.59 ₽2,403

51.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$140 ₽11.7K

-42.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$116 ₽9,715

-20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$520 ₽43.7K

108.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$431 ₽36.2K

-5.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$771 ₽64.8K

155.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$519 ₽43.6K

146.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,352 ₽197.7K

72.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$2,092 ₽175.8K

220.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$1,179 ₽99.1K

-34.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

17.5

-34.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Korolyov: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $520 in Korolyov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Korolyov pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $59.0 in Korolyov. Groceries flip the comparison at $278 vs $207, with Korolyov cheaper for home cooking.

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 4% 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 53% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $520 in Korolyov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,256 in Korolyov – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Korolyov versus $1,305 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 $1,256 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 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.