Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Oral

For one person, living is cheaper in Oral: $723 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Oral

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$723

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Oral actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $723 in Oral, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Oral $723

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,099 in Oral, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Oral $1,099

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,476 in Oral, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Oral $1,476

Playa del Carmen costs about 67% more than Oral, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and Oral are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Oral 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$8.30 ₸3,764

31.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$33.73 ₸15.3K

28.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$8.12 ₸3,684

45.07%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$1.85 ₸840

105.95%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$0.97 ₸441

31.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$0.59 ₸267

32.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$0.87 ₸394

264.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$2.06 ₸934

139.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.46 ₸661

-3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$0.47 ₸213

372.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.69 ₸768

-15.98%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$1.44 ₸652

75.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$8.92 ₸4,044

-18.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$4.39 ₸1,993

75.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$11.31 ₸5,129

12.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.25 ₸567

122.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$2.03 ₸919

-32.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$2.38 ₸1,079

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$3.24 ₸1,470

-34.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$0.42 ₸190

361.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$0.32 ₸147

490.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$0.71 ₸322

61.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.14 ₸515

3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$2.20 ₸997

95.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$7.72 ₸3,502

28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$0.65 ₸296

143.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$0.23 ₸105

139.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$0.65 ₸295

664.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$5.47 ₸2,481

-2.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$0.62 ₸282

132.26%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$30.5K ₸13.8M

-22.99%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$83.8 ₸38.0K

1.24%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$8.66 ₸3,930

170.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$14.61 ₸6,627

96.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$55.5 ₸25.2K

2.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$3.41 ₸1,546

50.73%

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$33.17 ₸15.0K

30.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$281 ₸127.2K

249.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$213 ₸96.8K

78.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$449 ₸203.8K

280.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$317 ₸143.6K

239.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$439 ₸199.4K

67.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Oral: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Oral

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Oral

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Oral

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Oral

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Oral

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Oral

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Oral

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $281 in Oral. 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 67% higher in Playa del Carmen. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $34 in Oral. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $196 – making Oral the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇿 Oral

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

12:33 12:33 PM

10 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

256,960

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 454 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 506 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Oral 11,060 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Oral

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 Oral: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,084 in Oral. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oral, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $281 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $34 in Oral. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Oral, where all-in costs run around $723, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Oral it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $723 in Oral to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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