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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $964 in Shakhty, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,472 in Shakhty, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,981 in Shakhty, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Shakhty, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Shakhty are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Shakhty 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$208

$9.66 ₽751

23.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$731

$37.46 ₽2,912

11.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$5.56 ₽432

87.41%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.3

$2.30 ₽178

52.61%

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

$1.52 MX$26.44

$1.09 ₽84.4

39.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.48 ₽37.05

89.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.0

$1.40 ₽109

117.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.2

$2.48 ₽193

76.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.78

$1.10 ₽85.4

29.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.93

$0.70 ₽54.8

161.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.51

$1.37 ₽106

18.98%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.29

$1.77 ₽138

43.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$149

$10.65 ₽828

-19.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.79 ₽373

77.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$188

$8.88 ₽690

21.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.04

$1.81 ₽141

51.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.05

$1.81 ₽141

-20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.90

$2.01 ₽156

-5.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.84

$2.75 ₽214

-21.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.03

$0.85 ₽66.0

109.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.79

$0.66 ₽51.4

236.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.64

$1.37 ₽106

-21.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$0.67 ₽52.1

61.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.3

$2.90 ₽226

43.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$182

$8.43 ₽655

23.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.40

$0.97 ₽75.3

79.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.01

$1.92 ₽149

34.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.95

$0.49 ₽37.79

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.0

$1.94 ₽151

65.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.64

$0.35 ₽27.58

614.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.6

$6.22 ₽484

-48.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.91

$0.72 ₽56.1

75.00%

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

$29.7K MX$517.7K

$34.9K ₽2.7M

-14.93%

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

$23.7K MX$413.0K

$35.8K ₽2.8M

-33.82%

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

$82.0 MX$1,430

$109 ₽8,436

-24.42%

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

$22.73 MX$396

$6.11 ₽475

272.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$513

$7.83 ₽609

275.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$910

$36.25 ₽2,817

43.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$5.15 ₽400

-4.27%

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

$202 MX$3,519

$325 ₽25.3K

-37.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.0K

$7,037 ₽547.0K

-25.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$627

$69.3 ₽5,385

-48.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$703

$44.33 ₽3,445

-9.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,393

$114 ₽8,895

-30.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,557

$109 ₽8,468

-18.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$438 ₽34.1K

116.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,114

$309 ₽24.1K

50.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.4K

$754 ₽58.6K

116.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$514 ₽40.0K

131.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.6K

$2,268 ₽176.3K

73.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.1K

$1,303 ₽101.2K

393.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

15.33

-25.51%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $438 in Shakhty. 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Shakhty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $198 – making Shakhty 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 Shakhty: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 31%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,445 in Shakhty. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shakhty, 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 $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $964 in Shakhty. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $325 in Shakhty. 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 Shakhty, where all-in costs run around $964, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Shakhty it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shakhty – 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 Shakhty. 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.