Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Shchelkovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shchelkovo: $1,054 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Playa del Carmen despite lower rent and utilities.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Shchelkovo
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Shchelkovo Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Shchelkovo

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,054 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Shchelkovo $1,054

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,657 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Shchelkovo $1,657

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,260 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Shchelkovo $2,260

Playa del Carmen costs about 14% more than Shchelkovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Shchelkovo are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Shchelkovo 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$6.07 ₽496

75.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$37.25 ₽3,048

17.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$7.55 ₽618

56.16%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$3.12 ₽255

21.47%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$1.05 ₽86.0

23.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$0.65 ₽53.0

27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$0.88 ₽72.3

257.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$1.87 ₽153

163.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.14 ₽93.1

23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$1.04 ₽84.7

111.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$2.31 ₽189

-36.36%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$1.67 ₽136

49.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$9.65 ₽790

-24.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$6.73 ₽551

18.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$11.69 ₽957

10.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$1.32 ₽108

119.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.30 ₽107

6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$1.28 ₽104

94.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$2.52 ₽206

-19.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$1.01 ₽82.8

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$0.38 ₽30.86

400.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$0.64 ₽52.5

78.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$0.58 ₽47.13

113.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$2.73 ₽223

56.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$6.33 ₽518

54.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$0.93 ₽76.3

70.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$1.89 ₽155

45.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$0.57 ₽46.45

-10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$26.43 ₽2,163

3.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$4.32 ₽354

10.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$0.30 ₽24.15

983.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$4.83 ₽396

11.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.88 ₽72.0

73.86%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$54.3K ₽4.4M

-60.94%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$42.7K ₽3.5M

-45.48%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$109 ₽8,916

-23.37%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$4.84 ₽396

379.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$5.69 ₽466

385.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$33.46 ₽2,739

68.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

$23.59 ₽1,930

19.50%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$6.81 ₽557

-26.58%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$215 ₽17.6K

-3.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$3,621 ₽296.3K

44.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$52.6 ₽4,307

-17.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$30.62 ₽2,506

38.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$141 ₽11.6K

-48.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$152 ₽12.4K

-41.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$460 ₽37.7K

116.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$359 ₽29.4K

6.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$1,023 ₽83.7K

63.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$670 ₽54.8K

61.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$2,527 ₽206.8K

54.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$1,354 ₽110.8K

353.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-39.74%

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 Shchelkovo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Shchelkovo

$359 34.1% 6.1% $24

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Shchelkovo

$202 19.1% 21.6% $56

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Shchelkovo

$124 11.7% 38.3% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Shchelkovo

$119 11.3% 11% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Shchelkovo

$169 16.1% 52.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Shchelkovo

$47 4.5% 29.1% $19

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Shchelkovo

$35 3.3% 31.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $460 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 $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $37 in Shchelkovo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $202 – making Shchelkovo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇷🇺 Shchelkovo

🕒 Local time

21:45 9:45 PM

05:45 5:45 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Shchelkovo 10,070 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Shchelkovo

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 Shchelkovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,582 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $460 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,054 in Shchelkovo. That makes Shchelkovo about 12% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 4% less in Shchelkovo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,054 in Shchelkovo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,054 in Shchelkovo to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

For expats, Shchelkovo is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 12% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.