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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,020 in Korolyov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,442 in Korolyov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,865 in Korolyov.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 25% more expensive than Korolyov, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Korolyov 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.92 ₽646

33.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$20.76 ₽1,504

106.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.15 ₽373

106.80%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.08 ₽150

65.87%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.87 ₽63.1

72.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.37 ₽26.69

156.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$4.07 ₽295

-25.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.94 ₽141

137.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.19 ₽86.3

15.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.45 ₽32.64

311.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.36 ₽98.2

18.38%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.55 ₽112

67.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$11.84 ₽858

-30.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$5.37 ₽389

55.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$7.60 ₽551

40.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.86 ₽135

41.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.68 ₽122

-11.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.34 ₽170

-17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.20 ₽304

-50.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.41 ₽29.63

353.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.84 ₽60.6

169.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.70 ₽123

-37.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.53 ₽38.26

105.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.58 ₽187

60.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$11.05 ₽801

-5.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.07 ₽77.5

60.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.42 ₽103

83.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.74 ₽53.9

-27.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$21.68 ₽1,571

24.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.58 ₽187

21.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.44 ₽32.07

470.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$7.94 ₽575

-60.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.78 ₽56.5

62.82%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$37.7K ₽2.7M

-19.36%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$19.9K ₽1.4M

18.44%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$125 ₽9,028

-33.38%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$5.41 ₽392

319.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$8.04 ₽583

266.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$32.36 ₽2,345

57.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$15.18 ₽1,100

20.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.33 ₽386

-7.50%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$696 ₽50.5K

-71.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$14.6K ₽1.1M

-63.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$56.6 ₽4,101

-34.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$24.99 ₽1,810

59.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$37.73 ₽2,734

112.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$57.1 ₽4,134

56.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$454 ₽32.9K

110.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$371 ₽26.9K

28.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$692 ₽50.2K

137.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$504 ₽36.5K

143.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,746 ₽199.0K

42.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$2,425 ₽175.7K

166.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,116 ₽80.8K

-40.21%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Korolyov: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $454 in Korolyov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Korolyov pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $21.00 in Korolyov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $209 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 25% 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, Korolyov earns 67% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $454 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 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $696 in Korolyov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,020 in Korolyov versus $1,271 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 $1,020 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 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.