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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,141 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,789 in Shchelkovo, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,436 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 5% lower, Shchelkovo 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$12.54 ₽909

-5.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$57.4 ₽4,156

-25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.28 ₽455

69.59%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.32 ₽241

3.92%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.45 ₽105

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.63 ₽45.57

50.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.41 ₽102

114.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.37 ₽317

5.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.28 ₽92.5

7.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.90 ₽65.2

105.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.77 ₽128

-9.04%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.94 ₽141

33.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$13.01 ₽942

-36.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.04 ₽438

38.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.16 ₽881

-12.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.94 ₽140

35.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.13 ₽154

-30.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.31 ₽167

-16.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.05 ₽293

-48.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.03 ₽74.9

80.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.79 ₽57.3

186.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.69 ₽122

-37.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.82 ₽59.3

32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.12 ₽226

33.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.76 ₽635

18.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.07 ₽77.8

60.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.42 ₽175

7.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.49 ₽35.85

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$2.53 ₽183

23.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.48 ₽34.92

422.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$8.11 ₽587

-61.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.81 ₽58.8

56.79%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$38.1K ₽2.8M

-20.37%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$37.3K ₽2.7M

-36.82%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$148 ₽10.7K

-43.79%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$8.16 ₽591

178.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$7.91 ₽573

272.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$34.92 ₽2,530

46.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.49 ₽470

-24.04%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$318 ₽23.0K

-37.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$6,999 ₽507.1K

-24.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$87.9 ₽6,372

-58.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$53.1 ₽3,851

-24.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$132 ₽9,573

-39.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$165 ₽12.0K

-45.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$437 ₽31.7K

118.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$308 ₽22.3K

54.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$752 ₽54.5K

118.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$509 ₽36.9K

140.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,513 ₽182.1K

55.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,590 ₽115.2K

306.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $437 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $57.0 in Shchelkovo. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $243 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,712 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,141 in Shchelkovo. 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 $318 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 $1,141, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.