Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $808 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
Learn more

Shymkent Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $808 in Shymkent, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Shymkent $808

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,390 in Shymkent, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Shymkent $1,390

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,971 in Shymkent, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Shymkent $1,971

Playa del Carmen costs about 49% more than Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Shymkent are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Shymkent 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$11.25 ₸5,086

-3.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$33.35 ₸15.1K

32.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$6.50 ₸2,938

80.92%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$2.54 ₸1,147

44.88%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.03 ₸467

30.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.54 ₸246

51.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$1.09 ₸492

180.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$1.35 ₸609

265.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.46 ₸661

0.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$0.41 ₸184

441.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$1.79 ₸811

-17.32%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$1.73 ₸783

43.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$10.04 ₸4,538

-25.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$5.26 ₸2,376

51.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$8.98 ₸4,059

39.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$1.19 ₸538

133.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$2.12 ₸957

-32.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.58 ₸1,166

1.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$1.35 ₸610

58.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$0.55 ₸250

267.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$0.41 ₸184

385.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$0.88 ₸397

29.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.83 ₸376

44.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$2.46 ₸1,114

73.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$4.55 ₸2,057

120.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.03 ₸466

49.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.51 ₸683

76.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$0.14 ₸64.0

278.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$0.87 ₸395

463.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$0.34 ₸156

908.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$10.02 ₸4,532

-46.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.64 ₸291

126.56%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$27.2K ₸12.3M

-22.15%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$29.0K ₸13.1M

-20.76%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$47.29 ₸21.4K

80.50%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$9.60 ₸4,338

144.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$14.79 ₸6,685

92.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$38.82 ₸17.5K

60.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$8.82 ₸3,986

225.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$5.68 ₸2,567

-10.21%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$57.8 ₸26.1K

248.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$37.55 ₸17.0K

18.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$33.85 ₸15.3K

22.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$187 ₸84.4K

-61.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$52.9 ₸23.9K

69.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$338 ₸153.0K

189.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$203 ₸92.0K

83.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$698 ₸315.6K

140.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$545 ₸246.2K

101.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$1,104 ₸499.1K

257.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$986 ₸445.6K

522.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$442 ₸199.6K

66.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

18.25

-37.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Shymkent

$203 25.2% 45.4% $169

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Shymkent

$185 22.9% 28.4% $73

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Shymkent

$154 19.1% 22.9% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Shymkent

$72 8.9% 47.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Shymkent

$140 17.3% 25.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Shymkent

$50 6.2% 30.7% $22

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Shymkent

$3.2 * 0.4% 93.9% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $338 in Shymkent. 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 67% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $33.00 in Shymkent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $185 – making Shymkent the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

22:12 10:12 PM

11 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

1,222,055

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Shymkent 12,620 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Shymkent

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 Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,212 in Shymkent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shymkent, 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $808 in Shymkent. That's a gap of about 49%.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $57.8 in Shymkent. 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 Shymkent, where all-in costs run around $808, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Shymkent it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shymkent – 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 Shymkent. 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.