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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $969 in Shakhty, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,480 in Shakhty, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,991 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 5% lower, Shakhty 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$9.38 ₽675

26.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$37.81 ₽2,718

13.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$5.55 ₽399

91.89%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.30 ₽165

50.00%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$1.12 ₽80.5

33.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.52 ₽37.29

82.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.40 ₽101

116.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$2.47 ₽177

86.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$1.10 ₽79.1

25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.71 ₽51.0

160.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.36 ₽98.0

18.38%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$1.72 ₽124

50.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$10.80 ₽777

-23.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$4.84 ₽348

72.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$9.02 ₽648

18.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$1.81 ₽130

45.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$1.90 ₽137

-21.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$1.98 ₽142

-3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$2.75 ₽197

-24.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$0.84 ₽60.3

121.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$0.66 ₽47.75

242.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$1.39 ₽100

-23.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.72 ₽51.9

51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$2.95 ₽212

40.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$8.02 ₽576

29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$0.93 ₽67.0

84.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$1.96 ₽141

33.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$0.49 ₽34.99

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$1.88 ₽135

66.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$0.33 ₽23.39

660.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$6.28 ₽452

-49.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$0.73 ₽52.6

73.97%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$34.2K ₽2.5M

-11.17%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$36.1K ₽2.6M

-34.69%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$111 ₽7,980

-25.22%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$5.79 ₽416

292.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$7.85 ₽564

275.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$35.65 ₽2,563

43.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$5.16 ₽371

-4.46%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$326 ₽23.4K

-39.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$6,863 ₽493.5K

-23.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$69.4 ₽4,988

-46.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$44.27 ₽3,183

-9.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$114 ₽8,164

-29.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$108 ₽7,740

-16.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$452 ₽32.5K

111.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$303 ₽21.8K

57.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$766 ₽55.1K

114.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$517 ₽37.2K

137.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$2,625 ₽188.7K

49.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$1,786 ₽128.4K

261.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shakhty: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $452 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Shakhty. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $199 – 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,453 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $969 in Shakhty. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $326 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 $969, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.