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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $976 in Shakhty, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,520 in Shakhty, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,063 in Shakhty, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 34% more than Shakhty, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Shakhty are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Shakhty 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$9.58 ₽817

24.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$800

$36.51 ₽3,112

29.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$198

$6.21 ₽529

89.21%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.6

$2.28 ₽194

80.70%

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

$1.40 MX$23.63

$1.08 ₽91.7

29.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.40

$0.57 ₽48.35

59.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.1

$1.76 ₽150

82.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$119

$2.73 ₽232

158.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.31

$1.16 ₽98.8

44.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.31

$0.79 ₽67.1

172.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.96

$1.24 ₽106

42.74%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.54

$1.64 ₽140

71.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$155

$9.81 ₽836

-6.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$4.49 ₽383

105.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$213

$8.91 ₽759

41.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.83

$1.51 ₽128

95.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.66

$1.69 ₽144

-6.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.53

$1.96 ₽167

13.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.90

$2.76 ₽235

-14.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.65

$0.73 ₽62.0

172.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.42

$0.56 ₽47.70

253.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.94

$1.43 ₽122

-13.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.46

$0.68 ₽58.0

77.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.7

$2.71 ₽231

69.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$6.83 ₽582

54.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.56

$0.97 ₽82.4

74.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.84

$2.17 ₽185

27.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.17

$0.53 ₽45.58

13.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.4

$1.98 ₽169

164.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.6

$0.29 ₽24.95

1158.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.7

$5.83 ₽497

-0.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$25.97

$0.82 ₽69.8

87.80%

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

$22.8K MX$385.0K

$28.2K ₽2.4M

-19.23%

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

$25.8K MX$435.8K

$35.1K ₽3.0M

-26.44%

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

$90.7 MX$1,531

$107 ₽9,128

-15.33%

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

$25.19 MX$425

$6.13 ₽523

310.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$536

$7.18 ₽612

342.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,162

$35.69 ₽3,042

92.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$496

$23.10 ₽1,969

27.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.1

$6.44 ₽549

-24.53%

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

$226 MX$3,811

$316 ₽26.9K

-28.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.8K

$6,161 ₽525.1K

-31.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$800

$74.7 ₽6,368

-36.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$734

$51.4 ₽4,379

-15.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,355

$100 ₽8,531

-19.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,543

$86.5 ₽7,370

5.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.3K

$435 ₽37.1K

149.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,900

$278 ₽23.7K

47.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

$702 ₽59.8K

180.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.6K

$512 ₽43.6K

150.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.3K

$2,208 ₽188.2K

83.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.2K

$1,383 ₽117.9K

384.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 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 7, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $435 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Shakhty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $189 – 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 34%, 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 $1,464 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $976 in Shakhty. 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 $316 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 $976, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.