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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $962 in Novokuznetsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,491 in Novokuznetsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,019 in Novokuznetsk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 35% more expensive than Novokuznetsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Novokuznetsk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$9.40 ₽686

24.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$38.41 ₽2,803

8.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.57 ₽406

91.02%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.35 ₽171

49.79%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.12 ₽82.1

34.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.48 ₽35.23

102.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.37 ₽99.8

115.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.47 ₽180

80.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.15 ₽83.7

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.71 ₽51.8

166.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.43 ₽105

14.69%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.77 ₽129

41.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$10.73 ₽783

-22.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.72 ₽345

76.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.82 ₽644

21.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.75 ₽127

48.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.86 ₽136

-21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.90 ₽139

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$2.76 ₽201

-24.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.79 ₽57.9

125.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.70 ₽51.4

212.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.41 ₽103

-26.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.66 ₽47.86

63.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.00 ₽219

36.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$9.79 ₽714

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.01 ₽74.0

69.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.93 ₽141

33.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.49 ₽35.61

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.86 ₽135

75.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.35 ₽25.60

611.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.31 ₽461

-48.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.73 ₽53.7

79.45%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$34.3K ₽2.5M

-11.80%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$35.7K ₽2.6M

-34.31%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$110 ₽8,052

-24.88%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$6.05 ₽442

267.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$7.62 ₽556

285.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$34.96 ₽2,552

47.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.15 ₽376

-1.55%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$319 ₽23.3K

-37.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$7,058 ₽515.1K

-26.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$69.2 ₽5,050

-46.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$44.28 ₽3,232

-10.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$115 ₽8,421

-32.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$107 ₽7,809

-18.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$443 ₽32.3K

119.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$304 ₽22.2K

53.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$773 ₽56.4K

112.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$500 ₽36.5K

144.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$424 ₽31.0K

56.53%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Novokuznetsk: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $443 in Novokuznetsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 57% 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 $201 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $962 including rent). Novokuznetsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 57% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $443 in Novokuznetsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $319 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 $962 in Novokuznetsk versus $1,297 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 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.