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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $864 in Polevskoy, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,369 in Polevskoy, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,873 in Polevskoy, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 51% more than Polevskoy, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Polevskoy are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Polevskoy 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$8.26 ₽711

44.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$803

$31.97 ₽2,753

48.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.11 ₽440

129.94%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.9

$2.60 ₽224

58.46%

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

$1.40 MX$23.71

$1.14 ₽97.8

22.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.46

$0.69 ₽59.3

31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.3

$3.47 ₽298

-7.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.61 ₽397

53.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.40

$1.13 ₽97.7

48.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.43

$0.80 ₽69.2

168.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.06

$1.08 ₽92.7

63.89%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.69

$1.13 ₽97.6

149.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$9.59 ₽825

-4.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$4.74 ₽408

94.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$9.76 ₽840

29.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.99

$1.64 ₽141

79.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.75

$1.64 ₽141

-3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.65

$1.72 ₽148

29.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.03

$2.11 ₽182

11.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.76

$0.66 ₽56.5

201.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.53

$0.50 ₽43.26

296.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.01

$1.47 ₽126

-15.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.52

$0.54 ₽46.39

124.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.0

$2.70 ₽232

70.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$5.89 ₽508

78.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.66

$0.77 ₽66.6

119.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.00

$1.77 ₽152

56.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.21

$0.48 ₽41.56

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.7

$2.32 ₽200

125.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.8

$0.31 ₽26.63

1077.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.0

$7.02 ₽604

-17.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.06

$0.80 ₽69.0

92.50%

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

$22.8K MX$386.3K

$29.2K ₽2.5M

-21.98%

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

$25.8K MX$437.3K

$29.2K ₽2.5M

-11.52%

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

$90.7 MX$1,536

$77.5 ₽6,672

17.02%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$4.56 ₽393

452.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$538

$8.36 ₽720

279.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$39.09 ₽3,366

75.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$21.48 ₽1,850

36.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.4

$5.87 ₽505

-17.21%

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

$226 MX$3,823

$319 ₽27.4K

-29.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.0K

$5,896 ₽507.7K

-28.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$803

$45.64 ₽3,930

3.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$736

$29.66 ₽2,554

46.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,359

$86.6 ₽7,458

-7.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,548

$52.0 ₽4,480

75.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$470 ₽40.5K

130.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,923

$272 ₽23.4K

50.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.4K

$878 ₽75.6K

124.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$466 ₽40.1K

175.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.5K

$2,268 ₽195.3K

78.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.6K

$1,337 ₽115.2K

401.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

20.34

-43.71%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Polevskoy: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $470 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $32.00 in Polevskoy. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $180 – making Polevskoy 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 Polevskoy: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 51%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,296 in Polevskoy. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $864 in Polevskoy. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $319 in Polevskoy. 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 Polevskoy, where all-in costs run around $864, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. In Polevskoy it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Polevskoy – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.