Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Oskemen

For one person, living is cheaper in Oskemen: $904 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Oskemen
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Oskemen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Oskemen

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$904

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $904 in Oskemen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Oskemen $904

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,517 in Oskemen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Oskemen $1,517

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,131 in Oskemen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Oskemen $2,131

Playa del Carmen costs about 33% more than Oskemen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and Oskemen are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Oskemen 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$13.29 ₸6,010

-18.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$26.05 ₸11.8K

69.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$3.90 ₸1,764

201.54%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$3.42 ₸1,547

7.60%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$0.98 ₸444

36.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.55 ₸248

49.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.58 ₸716

93.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.69 ₸766

192.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.45 ₸656

1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.49 ₸223

353.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.37 ₸618

8.03%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.76 ₸795

41.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$10.07 ₸4,554

-25.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$5.93 ₸2,681

34.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$8.02 ₸3,624

56.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.17 ₸530

137.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$2.01 ₸907

-28.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.72 ₸1,230

-3.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$2.52 ₸1,140

-15.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.94 ₸425

114.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$0.52 ₸236

282.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.32 ₸145

256.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.05 ₸476

14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$2.23 ₸1,006

91.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$4.87 ₸2,201

105.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.45 ₸656

6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.62 ₸733

64.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.24 ₸108

120.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$1.13 ₸511

333.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.32 ₸146

971.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$2.47 ₸1,119

117.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.66 ₸297

119.70%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$32.4K ₸14.7M

-34.75%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$31.1K ₸14.1M

-26.01%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$46.60 ₸21.1K

83.18%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$11.54 ₸5,217

103.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$22.44 ₸10.1K

26.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$26.34 ₸11.9K

136.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$19.83 ₸8,964

44.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$5.09 ₸2,301

0.20%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$66.0 ₸29.8K

204.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$2,835 ₸1.3M

39.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$112 ₸50.8K

-60.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$81.0 ₸36.6K

-48.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$97.9 ₸44.3K

-25.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$121 ₸54.7K

-25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$339 ₸153.3K

188.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$226 ₸102.2K

64.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$675 ₸305.0K

149.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$572 ₸258.6K

91.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$1,107 ₸500.3K

256.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$838 ₸378.8K

632.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$800 ₸361.6K

-7.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

19.5

-41.28%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Oskemen: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Oskemen

$226 25% 39.4% $147

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Oskemen

$195 21.6% 24.4% $63

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Oskemen

$177 19.5% 11.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Oskemen

$81 8.9% 41.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Oskemen

$185 20.5% 66.1% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Oskemen

$37 4% 49.6% $36

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Oskemen

$3.7 * 0.4% 92.9% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $339 in Oskemen. 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 8% higher in Oskemen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $26.00 in Oskemen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $195 – making Oskemen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇿 Oskemen

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

20:24 8:24 PM

11 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

354,770

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Oskemen 12,100 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Oskemen

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 Oskemen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $904 in Oskemen – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,356 in Oskemen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oskemen, 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $904 in Oskemen. That's a gap of about 33%.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $66.0 in Oskemen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Oskemen, where all-in costs run around $904, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Oskemen 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 $904 in Oskemen to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Oskemen. 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.