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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,103 in Magadan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,766 in Magadan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,428 in Magadan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 14% more expensive than in Magadan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Magadan 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$9.60 ₽766

22.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$63.5 ₽5,062

-33.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$5.55 ₽443

89.37%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$3.11 ₽248

15.43%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.54 ₽123

-1.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$1.05 ₽84.0

-12.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$1.42 ₽113

108.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$2.57 ₽205

71.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.62 ₽129

-13.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$1.06 ₽84.5

77.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.42 ₽113

9.86%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.99 ₽239

-12.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$15.10 ₽1,205

-44.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$8.88 ₽709

-5.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$15.74 ₽1,256

-31.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.80 ₽143

50.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$3.50 ₽279

-56.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$3.09 ₽247

-39.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.80 ₽223

-21.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.34 ₽107

38.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.17 ₽93.1

90.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.85 ₽67.9

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$1.22 ₽97.7

-10.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$3.19 ₽255

31.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$12.19 ₽973

-14.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.03 ₽82.1

61.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.51 ₽200

3.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.99 ₽79.0

-45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$1.51 ₽120

103.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.33 ₽25.97

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$6.26 ₽499

-50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$0.77 ₽61.2

70.13%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$33.7K ₽2.7M

-11.54%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$35.5K ₽2.8M

-34.36%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$111 ₽8,883

-27.00%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$5.92 ₽472

281.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$7.74 ₽618

288.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$35.71 ₽2,849

48.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$5.22 ₽416

-5.75%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$325 ₽26.0K

-38.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$7,043 ₽561.9K

-26.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$68.7 ₽5,484

-47.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$43.94 ₽3,505

-8.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$116 ₽9,222

-31.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$107 ₽8,552

-19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$439 ₽35.0K

122.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$300 ₽23.9K

56.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$776 ₽61.9K

112.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$517 ₽41.3K

132.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

$1,019 ₽81.3K

-33.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

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 Magadan: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $439 in Magadan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Magadan 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $63.0 in Magadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $297 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 14% 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 51% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $439 in Magadan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $325 in Magadan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Magadan – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,103 in Magadan versus $1,260 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 $1,103 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 14% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.