Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,599 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,599 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $1,599

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,713 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $2,713

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,827 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $3,827

Playa del Carmen is about 25% cheaper than Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is 17% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$18.76 ₽1,501

-41.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$87.9 ₽7,034

-50.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$11.19 ₽895

5.27%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$3.65 ₽292

4.38%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$1.91 ₽153

-32.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$0.93 ₽74.1

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$5.41 ₽433

-41.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$6.34 ₽507

-22.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.92 ₽153

-26.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$2.43 ₽195

-8.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$3.76 ₽301

-32.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$20.18 ₽1,614

-64.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$8.50 ₽680

-9.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$17.02 ₽1,361

-25.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$4.85 ₽388

-42.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$3.24 ₽259

-57.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$2.54 ₽203

-53.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.65 ₽51.6

-15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$33.77 ₽2,701

-21.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$3.62 ₽290

37.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$0.90 ₽72.4

60.00%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$53.9K ₽4.3M

-61.65%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$41.4K ₽3.3M

-43.34%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$123 ₽9,866

-31.26%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$14.89 ₽1,191

57.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$10.02 ₽801

186.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$37.25 ₽2,979

-22.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$7.23 ₽578

-28.91%

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

$207 MX$3,848

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$187 ₽15.0K

-76.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$125 ₽10.0K

-40.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$866 ₽69.3K

13.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$690 ₽55.2K

-44.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,828 ₽146.2K

-6.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,501 ₽120.0K

-28.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$1,482 ₽118.5K

-50.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

24.33

-52.94%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $866 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $88 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $287 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇷🇺 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🕒 Local time

22:32 10:32 PM

14:32 2:32 PM

16 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

180,467

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 RUB = 1.25 USD

100 RUB = 1.12 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 79.99 RUB (100 RUB = 1.25 USD). 1 EUR = 89.04 RUB (100 RUB = 1.12 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 11,000 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,398 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $866 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,599 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That makes Playa del Carmen about 25% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $88 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk at $1,599. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,599 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.