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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,160 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,785 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,411 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 11% more than Shchelkovo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Playa del Carmen and Shchelkovo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Shchelkovo 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$12.49 ₽936

-4.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$743

$58.6 ₽4,393

-27.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$6.18 ₽463

71.36%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$3.15 ₽236

14.92%

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

$1.47 MX$25.51

$1.44 ₽108

2.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.39

$0.62 ₽46.35

51.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$1.41 ₽106

119.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.5

$4.47 ₽335

-0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.77

$1.33 ₽99.3

7.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.75

$0.85 ₽63.5

121.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.31

$1.74 ₽130

-6.32%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.94

$1.91 ₽143

38.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$12.97 ₽972

-36.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.07 ₽455

36.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$12.25 ₽918

-9.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.08

$1.97 ₽147

34.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.08

$2.03 ₽152

-26.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.55

$2.36 ₽177

-15.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.09

$4.04 ₽303

-48.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.08

$1.03 ₽77.1

73.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.83

$0.81 ₽60.3

169.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.71

$1.63 ₽122

-33.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.74 ₽55.8

40.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.0

$3.25 ₽243

22.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$177

$8.10 ₽607

25.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.01

$1.07 ₽80.3

61.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.41

$2.32 ₽174

7.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.01

$0.50 ₽37.21

4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.6

$2.48 ₽186

26.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.75

$0.45 ₽33.59

433.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.6

$8.26 ₽619

-62.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.13

$0.81 ₽61.0

56.79%

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

$30.9K MX$536.7K

$38.7K ₽2.9M

-20.11%

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

$23.3K MX$405.2K

$36.6K ₽2.7M

-36.29%

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

$82.0 MX$1,425

$150 ₽11.2K

-45.33%

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

$22.45 MX$390

$7.83 ₽587

186.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$515

$8.10 ₽607

266.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$901

$34.86 ₽2,612

48.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$324

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.4

$6.41 ₽480

-22.46%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$323 ₽24.2K

-38.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.6K

$6,919 ₽518.5K

-23.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$87.0 ₽6,518

-58.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$696

$53.7 ₽4,020

-25.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,388

$131 ₽9,805

-38.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,545

$163 ₽12.2K

-45.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$443 ₽33.2K

117.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,077

$303 ₽22.7K

53.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.7K

$772 ₽57.8K

106.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$511 ₽38.3K

136.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.5K

$1,944 ₽145.7K

102.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.1K

$1,603 ₽120.1K

302.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

24.39

-53.18%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $443 in Shchelkovo. 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 in Playa del Carmen versus $59 in Shchelkovo. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $240 in Shchelkovo – so Shchelkovo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Shchelkovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,740 in Shchelkovo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shchelkovo, 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,160 in Shchelkovo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $323 in Shchelkovo. 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 Shchelkovo, where all-in costs run around $1,160, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In Shchelkovo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shchelkovo – 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 Shchelkovo. 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.