Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Shumen

For one person, living is cheaper in Shumen: $906 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Shumen
Learn more

Shumen Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Shumen

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $906 in Shumen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Shumen $906

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,409 in Shumen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Shumen $1,409

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,912 in Shumen, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Shumen $1,912

Playa del Carmen costs about 34% more than Shumen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Shumen are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Shumen 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$9.24 BGN 16.07

16.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$33.55 BGN 58.4

28.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$8.87 BGN 15.44

32.92%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$1.73 BGN 3.01

123.70%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$1.48 BGN 2.58

-7.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$1.00 BGN 1.75

-16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$2.92 BGN 5.08

6.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$2.83 BGN 4.93

79.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.81 BGN 3.15

-20.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$1.03 BGN 1.79

116.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$2.43 BGN 4.22

-39.51%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$2.88 BGN 5.02

-12.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$8.90 BGN 15.49

-17.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$5.08 BGN 8.85

54.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$8.75 BGN 15.23

46.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$1.50 BGN 2.62

93.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$2.06 BGN 3.58

-30.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$2.18 BGN 3.80

16.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$2.27 BGN 3.95

-9.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$2.04 BGN 3.54

-1.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$1.31 BGN 2.28

53.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$0.83 BGN 1.44

43.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.75 BGN 1.30

68.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$3.68 BGN 6.41

19.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$7.18 BGN 12.50

33.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$0.95 BGN 1.66

67.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$1.40 BGN 2.44

100.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.94 BGN 1.64

-39.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$25.92 BGN 45.10

7.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$1.75 BGN 3.04

184.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.48 BGN 0.84

629.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.52 BGN 2.64

-3.29%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$30.3K BGN 52.8K

-30.80%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$22.2K BGN 38.6K

7.85%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$133 BGN 231

-36.54%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$17.28 BGN 30.07

38.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$17.28 BGN 30.06

67.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$38.57 BGN 67.1

63.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$11.34 BGN 19.72

156.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$6.79 BGN 11.82

-27.25%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$570 BGN 991

-64.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$10.2K BGN 17.8K

-61.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$48.34 BGN 84.1

-9.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$51.3 BGN 89.2

-15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$94.1 BGN 164

-19.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$60.2 BGN 105

47.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$262 BGN 455

285.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$176 BGN 306

112.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$430 BGN 748

297.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$326 BGN 567

239.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$1,263 BGN 2,197

212.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$986 BGN 1,716

525.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$1,004 BGN 1,747

-24.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.25

252.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Shumen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Shumen

$176 19.4% 53% $198

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Shumen

$211 23.3% 18.4% $48

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Shumen

$151 16.7% 25.1% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Shumen

$167 18.5% 21.9% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Shumen

$114 12.6% 1.1% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Shumen

$52 5.8% 28.4% $21

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Shumen

$34 3.7% 35.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $262 in Shumen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 33% higher in Shumen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $34.00 in Shumen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $211 – making Shumen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇧🇬 Shumen

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

06:57 6:57 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

85,504

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Shumen 10,230 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Shumen

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 Shumen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,359 in Shumen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shumen, 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 $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $906 in Shumen. That's a gap of about 34%.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Shumen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Shumen, where all-in costs run around $906, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Shumen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shumen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Shumen. 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.