Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Zaqatala

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaqatala: $347 a month against $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
18

Cost of Living Index in Zaqatala
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Zaqatala Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Zaqatala

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $347 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Zaqatala $347

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $581 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Zaqatala $581

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $815 in Zaqatala, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Zaqatala $815

Playa del Carmen costs about 251% more than Zaqatala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Zaqatala are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 9% lower, Zaqatala 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$4.61 ₼7.83

137.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$20.76 ₼35.28

116.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$5.26 ₼8.94

126.62%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$2.33 ₼3.97

63.09%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$0.56 ₼0.96

133.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$0.52 ₼0.88

65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$1.71 ₼2.90

87.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$2.97 ₼5.05

68.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$0.97 ₼1.66

50.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$0.42 ₼0.72

454.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$2.28 ₼3.87

-36.84%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$1.38 ₼2.35

78.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$3.62 ₼6.16

112.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$2.42 ₼4.11

226.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$8.17 ₼13.89

56.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$0.80 ₼1.35

265.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$1.15 ₼1.96

23.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$0.58 ₼0.98

343.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$0.72 ₼1.23

197.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$0.30 ₼0.51

550.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$0.37 ₼0.63

424.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$0.92 ₼1.57

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$0.60 ₼1.02

103.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$1.74 ₼2.96

151.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$8.97 ₼15.24

9.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$1.15 ₼1.96

33.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$2.03 ₼3.45

33.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$0.18 ₼0.30

188.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$0.67 ₼1.13

129.85%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

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

$24.03 MX$441

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$33.15 ₼56.3

95.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

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

$208 MX$3,813

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$116 ₼198

747.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$81.7 ₼139

371.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$235 ₼400

628.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$145 ₼246

666.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Zaqatala: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Zaqatala

$82 23.5% 78.8% $303

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Zaqatala

$133 38.3% 48.8% $127

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Zaqatala

$99 28.6% 51.2% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Zaqatala

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Zaqatala

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Zaqatala

$33 * 9.5% 55.8% $42

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Zaqatala

$0.7 * 0.2% 98.6% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $116 in Zaqatala. 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 $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $21.00 in Zaqatala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $133 – making Zaqatala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇦🇿 Zaqatala

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

18:22 6:22 PM

9 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

21,800

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.525 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AZN, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.9 AZN (1 AZN = 0.525 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Zaqatala 11,610 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Zaqatala

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 Zaqatala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 251%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $520 in Zaqatala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zaqatala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 95% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $21.00 in Zaqatala. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zaqatala, where all-in costs run around $347, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,215. In Zaqatala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zaqatala – 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 Zaqatala. 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.