Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Polevskoy Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Polevskoy

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,054 in Polevskoy, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,593 in Polevskoy, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,132 in Polevskoy, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 20% more than Polevskoy, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Polevskoy are more affordable than the global median โ€“ Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Polevskoy 21% lower.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Polevskoy
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.67 MX$202
$6.23 โ‚ฝ467
87.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.88 MX$726
$44.53 โ‚ฝ3,341
-5.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.40 MX$180
$5.61 โ‚ฝ421
85.38%
Cappuccino
$3.61 MX$62.6
$2.26 โ‚ฝ170
59.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 MX$25.45
$1.29 โ‚ฝ96.5
13.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 MX$15.80
$0.37 โ‚ฝ27.52
145.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.03 MX$52.6
$0.85 โ‚ฝ63.6
256.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 MX$77.4
$1.95 โ‚ฝ146
129.23%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Polevskoy
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 MX$23.83
$1.17 โ‚ฝ88.0
17.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 MX$31.93
$0.74 โ‚ฝ55.5
148.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 MX$27.82
$1.38 โ‚ฝ104
16.67%
Eggs
$2.57 MX$44.52
$1.76 โ‚ฝ132
46.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.49 MX$147
$10.09 โ‚ฝ757
-15.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.49 MX$147
$6.92 โ‚ฝ520
22.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.99 MX$190
$11.31 โ‚ฝ849
-2.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 MX$47.25
$1.88 โ‚ฝ141
45.21%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$25.92
$2.04 โ‚ฝ153
-26.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.96 MX$33.93
$2.05 โ‚ฝ154
-4.39%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$36.70
$3.48 โ‚ฝ261
-39.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 MX$32.30
$1.08 โ‚ฝ81.1
72.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 MX$37.67
$0.75 โ‚ฝ56.1
189.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 MX$18.59
$0.54 โ‚ฝ40.67
98.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 MX$18.18
$0.57 โ‚ฝ42.87
84.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.19 MX$72.6
$2.59 โ‚ฝ195
61.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.28 MX$178
$6.54 โ‚ฝ491
57.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$28.87
$0.92 โ‚ฝ68.8
81.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 MX$43.12
$1.66 โ‚ฝ125
50.00%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Polevskoy
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.54 MX$9.37
$0.52 โ‚ฝ39.07
3.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.27 MX$455
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.10 MX$53.8
$1.94 โ‚ฝ146
59.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.46 MX$42.66
$0.32 โ‚ฝ24.37
668.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 MX$56.1
$5.28 โ‚ฝ396
-38.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 MX$21.83
$0.79 โ‚ฝ59.1
59.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.2K MX$522.8K
$62.7K โ‚ฝ4.7M
-51.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.4K MX$406.3K
$31.5K โ‚ฝ2.4M
-25.58%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Polevskoy
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.0 MX$1,456
$139 โ‚ฝ10.4K
-39.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.21 MX$385
$9.41 โ‚ฝ706
136.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.65 MX$514
$7.89 โ‚ฝ592
275.79%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Polevskoy
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.6 MX$912
$35.95 โ‚ฝ2,698
46.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.34 MX$318
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.95 MX$85.7
$5.77 โ‚ฝ433
-14.21%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Polevskoy
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$198 MX$3,438
$447 โ‚ฝ33.6K
-55.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,322 MX$92.2K
$4,420 โ‚ฝ331.7K
20.39%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Polevskoy
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$35.95 MX$623
$49.14 โ‚ฝ3,688
-26.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.06 MX$694
$42.78 โ‚ฝ3,210
-6.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.8 MX$1,365
$165 โ‚ฝ12.4K
-52.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.5 MX$1,499
$187 โ‚ฝ14.0K
-53.76%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Polevskoy
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$977 MX$16.9K
$446 โ‚ฝ33.5K
119.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$471 MX$8,158
$306 โ‚ฝ23.0K
53.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,595 MX$27.6K
$774 โ‚ฝ58.1K
106.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,215 MX$21.1K
$510 โ‚ฝ38.2K
138.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,032 MX$69.9K
$2,301 โ‚ฝ172.6K
75.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,579 MX$114.0K
$1,589 โ‚ฝ119.2K
314.09%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Polevskoy
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$714 MX$12.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
14.06
-18.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Polevskoy: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $446 in Polevskoy. 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 $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $45 in Polevskoy. Groceries tell a different story โ€“ $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $212 in Polevskoy โ€“ so Polevskoy wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Polevskoy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Polevskoy cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes โ€“ Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,580 in Polevskoy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Polevskoy, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen vs Polevskoy?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Playa del Carmen and $1,054 in Polevskoy. The difference isn't just one category โ€“ it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $447 in Polevskoy. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for Playa del Carmen or Polevskoy?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Polevskoy, where all-in costs run around $1,054, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Polevskoy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Polevskoy more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Polevskoy โ€“ lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Polevskoy. 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