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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $963 in Novokuznetsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,470 in Novokuznetsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,977 in Novokuznetsk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Novokuznetsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Novokuznetsk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$9.28 ₽729

29.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$37.89 ₽2,977

10.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.82 ₽457

84.71%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.27 ₽178

54.19%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.12 ₽87.9

29.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.49 ₽38.42

79.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.41 ₽111

109.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.58 ₽203

74.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.11 ₽87.0

28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.71 ₽56.0

159.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.38 ₽108

13.77%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.80 ₽141

39.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$10.70 ₽841

-22.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.78 ₽376

76.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.89 ₽698

20.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.73 ₽136

50.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.81 ₽143

-20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.97 ₽155

-0.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.69 ₽212

-22.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.80 ₽63.0

131.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.67 ₽53.0

223.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.41 ₽111

-26.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.67 ₽52.6

59.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.88 ₽226

42.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.66 ₽523

52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.02 ₽79.8

64.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.88 ₽148

34.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.49 ₽38.29

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.85 ₽145

74.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.33 ₽25.56

630.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$6.40 ₽503

-49.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.79 ₽61.8

67.09%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$33.6K ₽2.6M

-11.67%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$35.2K ₽2.8M

-32.80%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$111 ₽8,742

-26.30%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.86 ₽460

291.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$7.70 ₽605

291.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$35.48 ₽2,787

46.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.16 ₽405

-3.49%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$329 ₽25.8K

-39.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,888 ₽541.1K

-22.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$71.2 ₽5,592

-49.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$45.27 ₽3,556

-10.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$116 ₽9,081

-31.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$106 ₽8,312

-15.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$441 ₽34.7K

114.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$299 ₽23.5K

58.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$770 ₽60.5K

113.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$506 ₽39.8K

139.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,909 ₽228.6K

39.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,910 ₽150.1K

238.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$451 ₽35.4K

45.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.62

-16.15%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Novokuznetsk: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $441 in Novokuznetsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Novokuznetsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $194 per month, with Novokuznetsk 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 Novokuznetsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Novokuznetsk differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $963 including rent). Novokuznetsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $441 in Novokuznetsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $329 in Novokuznetsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Novokuznetsk – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $963 in Novokuznetsk versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Novokuznetsk but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Novokuznetsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Novokuznetsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.