Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Perm

For one person, living is cheaper in Perm: $917 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,215
/mo nomad
Perm
🇷🇺 Russia
$917
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $917 in Perm, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,215
  • Perm $917

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,387 in Perm, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,144
  • Perm $1,387

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,858 in Perm, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,072
  • Perm $1,858

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

Both Playa del Carmen and Perm are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Perm 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Perm
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.97 MX$201
$8.05 ₽685
36.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.85 MX$823
$26.22 ₽2,231
71.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.92 MX$219
$6.06 ₽516
96.70%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$69.9
$2.18 ₽186
74.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.08
$0.78 ₽66.8
67.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 MX$15.72
$0.40 ₽33.96
115.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.21 MX$59.0
$1.21 ₽103
165.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.01 MX$92.0
$1.55 ₽132
223.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Perm
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 MX$26.77
$1.07 ₽91.4
36.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 MX$42.72
$0.83 ₽70.8
180.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.48
$1.25 ₽106
15.20%
Eggs
$2.46 MX$45.20
$1.28 ₽109
92.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.70 MX$141
$7.83 ₽667
-1.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.89 MX$145
$5.23 ₽445
50.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.80 MX$235
$11.68 ₽994
9.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 MX$53.6
$2.15 ₽183
35.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.11
$2.10 ₽178
-32.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 MX$47.10
$2.09 ₽178
22.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.24
$2.29 ₽195
-6.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.75
$0.56 ₽47.94
248.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 MX$35.55
$0.44 ₽37.13
340.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.13
$0.86 ₽73.0
33.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.42
$0.82 ₽69.5
48.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.38 MX$80.3
$2.62 ₽223
67.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.85 MX$181
$9.26 ₽788
6.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.23
$0.87 ₽74.1
77.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 MX$49.86
$1.63 ₽139
66.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Perm
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.64
$0.52 ₽44.55
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.42 MX$503
$24.53 ₽2,087
11.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 MX$90.2
$1.75 ₽149
180.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.52 MX$64.7
$0.45 ₽38.69
682.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 MX$104
$4.16 ₽354
36.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 MX$28.27
$0.81 ₽68.8
90.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$389.9K
$40.7K ₽3.5M
-47.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$449.6K
$39.3K ₽3.3M
-37.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Perm
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.6 MX$1,535
$128 ₽10.9K
-34.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.03 MX$441
$5.68 ₽484
323.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.33 MX$539
$8.33 ₽708
252.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Perm
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 MX$1,191
$27.00 ₽2,297
140.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.46 MX$541
$13.23 ₽1,126
122.68%
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$93.4
$8.30 ₽706
-38.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Perm
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$208 MX$3,813
$233 ₽19.9K
-11.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,045 MX$74.3K
$4,398 ₽374.2K
-8.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Perm
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.55 MX$818
$53.3 ₽4,538
-16.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.06 MX$772
$32.85 ₽2,796
28.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 MX$1,387
$61.9 ₽5,270
21.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.4 MX$1,678
$69.9 ₽5,948
30.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Perm
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$986 MX$18.1K
$471 ₽40.1K
109.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 MX$7,072
$265 ₽22.5K
45.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,713 MX$31.5K
$603 ₽51.3K
184.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,108 MX$20.4K
$479 ₽40.8K
131.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,016 MX$73.7K
$2,358 ₽200.6K
70.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,247 MX$114.7K
$1,543 ₽131.3K
304.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Perm
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$758 MX$13.9K
$973 ₽82.8K
-22.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
23.33
-50.92%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Perm: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$385
Perm
$265 31.3% $120
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$260
Perm
$199 23.6% $61
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$204
Perm
$123 39.9% $81
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Perm
$142 3.4% $4.6
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$114
Perm
$98 14% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$75
Perm
$44 41.9% $31
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Perm
$31 41.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $471 in Perm. 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 28% higher in Perm, 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $26.00 in Perm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $199 – making Perm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇷🇺 Perm
🕒 Local time
02:21 2:21 AM
12:21 12:21 PM
10 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
1,026,908
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Perm 10,640 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Perm

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 Perm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Perm cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,375 in Perm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Perm, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Perm?
Groceries cost about 31% 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.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Perm?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $26.00 in Perm. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Perm?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Perm, where all-in costs run around $917, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Perm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Perm more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Perm – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Perm?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Perm. 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.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?