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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $980 in Serov, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,517 in Serov, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,055 in Serov, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 29% more than Serov, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Serov are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Serov 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.90 ₽917

6.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$36.32 ₽3,056

29.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.21 ₽522

91.30%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.62 ₽221

51.91%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.06 ₽88.8

34.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.60 ₽50.2

36.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.78 ₽150

79.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.95 ₽248

130.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.10 ₽92.5

52.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.71 ₽59.4

209.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.36 ₽115

25.74%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.58 ₽133

73.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.77 ₽906

-11.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.09 ₽428

77.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$10.61 ₽893

20.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.72 ₽145

68.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.76 ₽148

-14.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.79 ₽151

20.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$2.72 ₽229

-16.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.70 ₽59.2

182.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$0.57 ₽48.34

249.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.26 ₽106

-2.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.68 ₽57.0

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.78 ₽234

63.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.70 ₽648

34.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.03 ₽86.6

57.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$2.00 ₽168

44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.50 ₽42.02

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$2.29 ₽193

135.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.33 ₽27.96

1030.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$5.20 ₽438

10.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.82 ₽68.6

87.80%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$31.5K ₽2.7M

-28.48%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$31.7K ₽2.7M

-17.85%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$116 ₽9,789

-21.45%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$5.84 ₽491

331.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$8.25 ₽694

278.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$33.84 ₽2,847

98.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$22.91 ₽1,928

27.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$5.66 ₽476

-14.13%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$313 ₽26.3K

-28.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$6,193 ₽521.1K

-31.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$69.7 ₽5,864

-32.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$45.79 ₽3,852

-3.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$114 ₽9,602

-29.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$96.1 ₽8,086

-3.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$452 ₽38.1K

134.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$303 ₽25.5K

28.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$799 ₽67.2K

168.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$531 ₽44.7K

139.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,271 ₽191.1K

76.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,438 ₽121.0K

352.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-45.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Serov: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $452 in Serov. 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 $36.00 in Serov. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $200 – making Serov 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 Serov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 29%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,470 in Serov. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Serov, 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 $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $980 in Serov. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $313 in Serov. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Serov, where all-in costs run around $980, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Serov it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Serov – 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 Serov. 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.