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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $557 in Magadan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,087 in Magadan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,617 in Magadan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 134% more expensive than in Magadan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Magadan 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$22.85 ₽1,920

-47.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$63.7 ₽5,353

-25.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$3.68 ₽310

11.96%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.36 ₽115

2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.91 ₽76.7

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.64 ₽138

2.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.11 ₽93.1

93.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.36 ₽114

30.15%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.88 ₽242

-2.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$13.75 ₽1,156

-33.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$9.46 ₽795

-2.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$14.42 ₽1,212

-12.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$3.61 ₽303

-18.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$3.34 ₽281

-52.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$3.15 ₽265

-29.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$7.11 ₽598

-66.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.17 ₽98.4

70.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.11 ₽93.0

78.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.85 ₽71.4

45.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.12 ₽94.5

8.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.84 ₽239

61.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$10.87 ₽913

-3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.96 ₽164

-13.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.28 ₽191

21.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.99 ₽83.1

-39.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.84 ₽239

84.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.81 ₽68.0

90.12%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$21.4K ₽1.8M

6.78%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$32.1K ₽2.7M

-19.66%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

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

$25.19 MX$427

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

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

$226 MX$3,828

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$938 ₽78.8K

-17.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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 Magadan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Magadan pays 21% 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 $64.0 in Magadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $321 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Magadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Magadan wins on cost – living expenses run 134% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Magadan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Magadan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $557 in Magadan – a 134% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $557 in Magadan versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Magadan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Magadan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Magadan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $557 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Magadan hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Magadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.