Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Stary Oskol Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Stary Oskol

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $961 in Stary Oskol, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,473 in Stary Oskol, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,986 in Stary Oskol, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 31% more than Stary Oskol, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Stary Oskol are more affordable than the global median โ€“ Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Stary Oskol 28% lower.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Stary Oskol
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.67 MX$202
$9.55 โ‚ฝ716
22.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.88 MX$726
$37.97 โ‚ฝ2,849
10.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.40 MX$180
$5.65 โ‚ฝ424
84.07%
Cappuccino
$3.61 MX$62.6
$2.34 โ‚ฝ176
54.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.47 MX$25.45
$1.07 โ‚ฝ80.3
37.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 MX$15.80
$0.48 โ‚ฝ35.67
89.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.03 MX$52.6
$1.36 โ‚ฝ102
122.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.47 MX$77.4
$2.60 โ‚ฝ195
71.92%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Stary Oskol
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.38 MX$23.83
$1.16 โ‚ฝ86.8
18.97%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 MX$31.93
$0.66 โ‚ฝ49.34
178.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.61 MX$27.82
$1.37 โ‚ฝ103
17.52%
Eggs
$2.57 MX$44.52
$1.74 โ‚ฝ130
47.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.49 MX$147
$10.75 โ‚ฝ806
-21.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.49 MX$147
$4.90 โ‚ฝ368
73.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.99 MX$190
$9.09 โ‚ฝ682
20.90%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 MX$47.25
$1.75 โ‚ฝ131
56.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 MX$25.92
$1.84 โ‚ฝ138
-18.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.96 MX$33.93
$1.90 โ‚ฝ143
3.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$36.70
$2.76 โ‚ฝ207
-23.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 MX$32.30
$0.84 โ‚ฝ63.1
121.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.17 MX$37.67
$0.70 โ‚ฝ52.8
210.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 MX$18.59
$1.40 โ‚ฝ105
-23.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 MX$18.18
$0.66 โ‚ฝ49.84
59.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.19 MX$72.6
$2.97 โ‚ฝ223
41.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.28 MX$178
$6.81 โ‚ฝ511
50.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.67 MX$28.87
$1.00 โ‚ฝ74.9
67.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 MX$43.12
$1.85 โ‚ฝ139
34.59%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Stary Oskol
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.54 MX$9.37
$0.49 โ‚ฝ36.87
10.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.27 MX$455
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.10 MX$53.8
$1.92 โ‚ฝ144
61.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.46 MX$42.66
$0.33 โ‚ฝ24.65
645.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.24 MX$56.1
$6.33 โ‚ฝ475
-48.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 MX$21.83
$0.79 โ‚ฝ59.0
59.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.2K MX$522.8K
$33.8K โ‚ฝ2.5M
-10.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.4K MX$406.3K
$35.9K โ‚ฝ2.7M
-34.75%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Stary Oskol
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.0 MX$1,456
$109 โ‚ฝ8,167
-22.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$22.21 MX$385
$5.88 โ‚ฝ441
277.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.65 MX$514
$7.78 โ‚ฝ584
281.11%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Stary Oskol
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.6 MX$912
$36.07 โ‚ฝ2,707
45.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.34 MX$318
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.95 MX$85.7
$5.14 โ‚ฝ386
-3.70%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Stary Oskol
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$198 MX$3,438
$325 โ‚ฝ24.4K
-38.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,322 MX$92.2K
$6,972 โ‚ฝ523.2K
-23.67%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Stary Oskol
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$35.95 MX$623
$70.5 โ‚ฝ5,294
-49.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.06 MX$694
$43.58 โ‚ฝ3,270
-8.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.8 MX$1,365
$116 โ‚ฝ8,688
-31.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.5 MX$1,499
$105 โ‚ฝ7,875
-17.56%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Stary Oskol
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$977 MX$16.9K
$453 โ‚ฝ34.0K
115.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$471 MX$8,158
$311 โ‚ฝ23.3K
51.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,595 MX$27.6K
$765 โ‚ฝ57.4K
108.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,215 MX$21.1K
$499 โ‚ฝ37.5K
143.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,032 MX$69.9K
$1,924 โ‚ฝ144.4K
109.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,579 MX$114.0K
$1,387 โ‚ฝ104.1K
374.43%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Stary Oskol
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$714 MX$12.4K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.42
15.33
-25.51%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Stary Oskol: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $453 in Stary Oskol. 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 $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $38 in Stary Oskol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $196 โ€“ making Stary Oskol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Stary Oskol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stary Oskol cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes โ€“ Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 31%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,441 in Stary Oskol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Stary Oskol, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen vs Stary Oskol?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,261 in Playa del Carmen and $961 in Stary Oskol. The difference isn't just one category โ€“ it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $325 in Stary Oskol. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Playa del Carmen or Stary Oskol?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Stary Oskol, where all-in costs run around $961, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Stary Oskol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Stary Oskol more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Stary Oskol โ€“ lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Stary Oskol. 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.

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