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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,029 in Korolyov.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,442 in Korolyov.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,855 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 4% lower, Korolyov 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$9.09 ₽683

31.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$20.73 ₽1,557

106.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.31 ₽399

99.44%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.05 ₽154

76.59%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.87 ₽65.6

68.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.39 ₽29.55

141.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$4.09 ₽307

-24.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.91 ₽144

133.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.18 ₽88.4

21.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.45 ₽33.85

317.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.36 ₽102

19.85%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.56 ₽117

69.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$12.14 ₽912

-32.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$5.27 ₽396

57.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$7.97 ₽599

39.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.95 ₽147

35.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.65 ₽124

-9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.30 ₽173

-13.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.05 ₽304

-48.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.43 ₽32.43

316.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.85 ₽63.9

156.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.63 ₽122

-33.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.57 ₽42.83

82.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.54 ₽191

56.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$10.82 ₽813

-5.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.13 ₽84.9

53.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.40 ₽105

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.70 ₽52.8

-25.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$21.93 ₽1,647

22.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.53 ₽190

24.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.45 ₽33.72

433.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$7.97 ₽598

-61.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.79 ₽59.1

60.76%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$38.8K ₽2.9M

-20.36%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$20.5K ₽1.5M

14.00%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$124 ₽9,350

-34.12%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$5.54 ₽416

305.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$8.16 ₽613

263.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$31.18 ₽2,342

66.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$15.52 ₽1,165

20.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.48 ₽411

-9.31%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$711 ₽53.4K

-72.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$14.8K ₽1.1M

-64.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$56.8 ₽4,265

-36.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$25.18 ₽1,892

59.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$37.50 ₽2,816

113.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$57.9 ₽4,350

53.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$462 ₽34.7K

108.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$380 ₽28.6K

22.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$702 ₽52.7K

127.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$497 ₽37.3K

143.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,428 ₽182.4K

62.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,905 ₽143.1K

238.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$1,091 ₽82.0K

-33.98%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Korolyov: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $462 in Korolyov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Korolyov pays 51% 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 $251 vs $210 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 51% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $462 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 23% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $711 in Korolyov. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,029 in Korolyov versus $1,287 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 $1,029 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.