Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Serov

For one person, living is cheaper in Serov: $1,118 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Serov, Russia
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Serov
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,118
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,118 in Serov, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Serov $1,118

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,824 in Serov, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Serov $1,824

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,529 in Serov, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Serov $2,529

Playa del Carmen costs about 8% more than Serov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Serov are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Serov 17% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Serov
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$14.12 ₽1,156
-24.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$47.47 ₽3,884
-7.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$5.75 ₽470
105.04%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$3.02 ₽247
25.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
$1.14 ₽93.4
14.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
$0.57 ₽47.00
45.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
$1.59 ₽130
98.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$3.38 ₽276
45.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Serov
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.25 ₽103
12.80%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$0.80 ₽65.3
175.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$1.58 ₽130
-6.96%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.46
$1.44 ₽118
73.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$11.89 ₽973
-38.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$5.64 ₽461
40.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$12.41 ₽1,016
3.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$1.58 ₽129
83.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$1.85 ₽152
-25.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.35
$1.73 ₽142
43.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.77
$2.86 ₽234
-29.02%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.68
$0.84 ₽69.1
140.48%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$0.58 ₽47.11
227.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$1.19 ₽97.7
-4.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.05
$0.64 ₽52.3
93.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$2.86 ₽234
49.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
$8.73 ₽714
12.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$1.10 ₽89.9
44.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
$2.10 ₽172
30.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Serov
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
$0.50 ₽40.88
2.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
$29.76 ₽2,436
-7.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$2.76 ₽226
72.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$0.34 ₽27.95
855.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$6.47 ₽529
-16.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$0.82 ₽67.0
86.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$56.8K ₽4.7M
-62.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$36.6K ₽3.0M
-36.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Serov
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$128 ₽10.4K
-34.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$6.95 ₽569
233.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$8.59 ₽703
221.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Serov
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$36.42 ₽2,980
54.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
$26.69 ₽2,184
5.62%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$6.83 ₽559
-26.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Serov
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$369 ₽30.2K
-43.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.3K
$6,566 ₽537.4K
-20.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Serov
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$102 ₽8,377
-57.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$50.4 ₽4,121
-15.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
$150 ₽12.3K
-51.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$121 ₽9,939
-27.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Serov
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$432 ₽35.3K
130.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$292 ₽23.9K
30.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$1,046 ₽85.6K
60.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$623 ₽50.9K
73.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
$2,299 ₽188.1K
70.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
$1,636 ₽133.9K
275.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Serov
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
21.33
-46.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Serov: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Serov
$292 23.5% $90
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Serov
$217 15.6% $40
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Serov
$188 6.1% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Serov
$143 6.5% $8.8
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Serov
$191 71.8% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Serov
$50 24.6% $16
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Serov
$36 28.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $432 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $47 in Serov. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $217 in Serov – so Serov wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇷🇺 Serov
🕒 Local time
22:18 10:18 PM
08:18 8:18 AM
10 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
97,366
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 81.84 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 92.13 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Serov 10,620 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Serov

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 Serov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Serov cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,677 in Serov. 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 Serov, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $432 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Serov?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,118 in Serov. That makes Serov about 7% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 8% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 enough for either Playa del Carmen or Serov?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,118 in Serov, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Serov?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,118 in Serov to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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