Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Makhachkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Makhachkala
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Makhachkala Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Makhachkala

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,009

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Makhachkala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Makhachkala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,009 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Makhachkala $1,009

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,562 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Makhachkala $1,562

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,115 in Makhachkala, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Makhachkala $2,115

Playa del Carmen costs about 20% more than Makhachkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Makhachkala are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Makhachkala 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$10.20 ₽851

5.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$31.73 ₽2,648

35.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$5.48 ₽457

115.15%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$2.65 ₽221

46.04%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$1.17 ₽98.0

17.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.61 ₽51.1

37.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$1.94 ₽162

59.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$2.94 ₽246

72.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.10 ₽91.6

30.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$0.71 ₽58.9

214.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.41 ₽118

4.26%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.53 ₽127

65.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$10.99 ₽917

-33.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$5.39 ₽450

45.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$11.03 ₽921

15.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$1.70 ₽142

70.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.75 ₽146

-17.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$1.75 ₽146

45.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$2.78 ₽232

-25.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$0.81 ₽67.4

146.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$0.61 ₽51.1

229.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$1.23 ₽103

-3.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.74 ₽61.8

70.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$3.33 ₽278

32.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$7.92 ₽661

21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.10 ₽91.4

44.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$2.02 ₽168

39.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.54 ₽44.80

5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$2.70 ₽225

84.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.40 ₽33.48

775.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$5.71 ₽477

-5.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$0.84 ₽70.2

75.00%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$41.0K ₽3.4M

-48.78%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$37.4K ₽3.1M

-36.00%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$110 ₽9,172

-23.37%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$5.49 ₽458

336.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$8.44 ₽705

243.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$35.62 ₽2,973

76.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$23.57 ₽1,967

23.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$6.13 ₽512

-19.41%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$348 ₽29.1K

-41.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$5,288 ₽441.3K

-25.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$80.1 ₽6,688

-45.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$54.1 ₽4,518

-20.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$102 ₽8,539

-25.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$112 ₽9,353

-20.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$460 ₽38.4K

119.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$315 ₽26.3K

18.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$891 ₽74.4K

91.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$556 ₽46.4K

98.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$2,226 ₽185.8K

77.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$1,492 ₽124.5K

313.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$622 ₽51.9K

21.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

21.45

-46.62%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Makhachkala

$315 31.2% 15.7% $59

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Makhachkala

$206 20.4% 20.5% $53

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Makhachkala

$153 15.1% 24.5% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Makhachkala

$124 12.3% 9.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Makhachkala

$157 15.6% 38.9% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Makhachkala

$48 4.8% 34.3% $25

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Makhachkala

$6.9 * 0.7% 87% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $460 in Makhachkala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Makhachkala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $206 – making Makhachkala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇷🇺 Makhachkala

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

11:42 11:42 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

604,266

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Makhachkala 11,550 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Makhachkala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Makhachkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,513 in Makhachkala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Makhachkala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $1,009 in Makhachkala. That's a gap of about 20%.

Kindergarten costs $204 per month in Playa del Carmen and $348 in Makhachkala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Makhachkala, where all-in costs run around $1,009, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Makhachkala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Makhachkala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Makhachkala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.