Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Novy Urengoy Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Novy Urengoy

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,026 in Novy Urengoy, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,590 in Novy Urengoy, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,154 in Novy Urengoy, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% more than Novy Urengoy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Novy Urengoy are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Novy Urengoy 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.71 ₽901

8.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$36.08 ₽3,035

30.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.10 ₽513

94.75%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.61 ₽219

52.49%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.10 ₽92.2

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.56 ₽47.53

46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.01 ₽169

58.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.79 ₽235

143.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.20 ₽101

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.72 ₽60.3

205.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.39 ₽117

23.02%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.61 ₽135

70.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.50 ₽883

-8.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.13 ₽432

75.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$9.55 ₽803

34.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.89 ₽159

52.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.58 ₽133

-5.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.64 ₽138

31.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$2.66 ₽224

-15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.81 ₽67.8

144.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.65 ₽55.1

206.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.16 ₽97.5

6.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.80 ₽67.5

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$3.11 ₽262

46.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$8.08 ₽680

28.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.94 ₽79.5

72.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.91 ₽161

50.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.49 ₽41.01

22.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.98 ₽167

172.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.35 ₽29.50

965.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$6.64 ₽559

-13.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.84 ₽70.8

83.33%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$32.8K ₽2.8M

-31.35%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$29.4K ₽2.5M

-11.23%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$122 ₽10.3K

-25.25%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$5.87 ₽494

329.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$7.53 ₽633

314.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$38.01 ₽3,198

76.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$24.32 ₽2,046

19.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$5.75 ₽484

-15.48%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$374 ₽31.4K

-40.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$6,482 ₽545.3K

-34.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$64.6 ₽5,433

-27.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$50.9 ₽4,281

-12.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$118 ₽9,920

-32.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$104 ₽8,741

-10.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$473 ₽39.8K

124.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$280 ₽23.5K

39.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$918 ₽77.3K

134.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$565 ₽47.6K

125.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,217 ₽186.6K

80.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,529 ₽128.7K

325.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-45.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Novy Urengoy: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $473 in Novy Urengoy. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $36.00 in Novy Urengoy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $198 – making Novy Urengoy the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Novy Urengoy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 23% more than Novy Urengoy, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,540 in Novy Urengoy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $36.00 in Novy Urengoy. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Novy Urengoy, where all-in costs run around $1,026, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Novy Urengoy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Novy Urengoy costs $1,026 versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Novy Urengoy. 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.