Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samaxi and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Samaxi: $842 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Samaxi
Learn more

Samaxi Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Samaxi

🇦🇿 Azerbaijan

$842

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Samaxi and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $842 per month in Samaxi vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Samaxi $842
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,521 per month in Samaxi vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Samaxi $1,521
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Samaxi vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Samaxi $2,200
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Samaxi is about 30% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Samaxi and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Samaxi 38% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.29 ₼14.08

$10.86 MX$201

-23.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.87 ₼50.8

$44.21 MX$817

-32.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 ₼9.94

$11.76 MX$217

-50.26%

Cappuccino

$2.75 ₼4.68

$3.68 MX$68.0

-25.27%

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

$0.85 ₼1.45

$1.34 MX$24.79

-36.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ₼0.58

$0.82 MX$15.24

-58.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 ₼2.06

$3.06 MX$56.6

-60.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 ₼3.93

$4.94 MX$91.2

-53.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 ₼2.29

$1.47 MX$27.17

-8.16%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 ₼0.60

$2.22 MX$40.95

-83.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₼4.09

$1.48 MX$27.32

62.84%

Eggs

$1.12 ₼1.90

$2.49 MX$45.99

-55.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 ₼4.98

$7.52 MX$139

-61.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 ₼7.49

$7.96 MX$147

-44.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.07 ₼15.41

$12.57 MX$232

-27.84%

Apples (1kg)

$0.63 ₼1.06

$2.78 MX$51.3

-77.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₼2.65

$1.43 MX$26.37

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 ₼2.44

$2.62 MX$48.37

-45.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 ₼1.78

$2.14 MX$39.49

-50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 ₼1.00

$2.02 MX$37.38

-70.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.51 ₼0.87

$1.99 MX$36.74

-74.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 ₼0.74

$1.14 MX$21.01

-62.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 ₼0.99

$1.20 MX$22.18

-50.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.48 ₼5.92

$4.26 MX$78.7

-18.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 ₼8.72

$10.02 MX$185

-48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 ₼1.44

$1.54 MX$28.41

-44.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₼3.29

$2.66 MX$49.17

-27.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₼0.52

$0.53 MX$9.73

-43.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.48 ₼24.60

$27.51 MX$508

-47.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 ₼2.97

$4.90 MX$90.6

-64.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₼0.52

$3.43 MX$63.5

-91.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 ₼5.10

$5.38 MX$99.4

-44.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₼0.97

$1.45 MX$26.76

-60.69%

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

$23.5K ₼39.9K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

11.06%

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

$24.8K ₼42.2K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

7.94%

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

$33.84 ₼57.5

$85.4 MX$1,577

-60.36%

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

$12.85 ₼21.84

$23.46 MX$434

-45.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.52 ₼24.68

$28.43 MX$525

-48.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.79 ₼50.6

$62.2 MX$1,149

-52.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.85 ₼25.23

$28.68 MX$530

-48.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₼12.27

$5.10 MX$94.3

41.57%

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

$234 ₼398

$201 MX$3,715

16.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K ₼19.7K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

193.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.94 ₼81.5

$44.39 MX$820

8.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 ₼98.7

$41.35 MX$764

40.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₼199

$72.7 MX$1,344

60.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 ₼201

$89.6 MX$1,656

31.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 ₼659

$979 MX$18.1K

-60.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 ₼491

$373 MX$6,887

-22.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 ₼1,195

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-58.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$894 ₼1,519

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-18.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,067 ₼3,513

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-47.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,196 ₼2,032

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-80.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$347 ₼590

$738 MX$13.6K

-52.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-30.13%

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

Last update for Samaxi: October 17, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samaxi

$289 34.3%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 28.9% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Samaxi

$153 18.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 27.2% $42

Groceries & Markets

Samaxi

$143 16.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 81.2% $116

Eating Out

Samaxi

$132 15.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 51.3% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samaxi

$61 7.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 124% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Samaxi

$44 5.3%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 63.7% $28

Getting Around

Samaxi

$19 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 173% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $388 in Samaxi versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. 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 112% 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 $30.00 in Samaxi versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $143 vs $258 – making Samaxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇦🇿 Samaxi

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

05:50 5:50 AM

9 h behind Samaxi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Azerbaijani Manat AZN ₼

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AZN = 0.588 USD

1 AZN = 0.523 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AZN – Azerbaijani Manat Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇿 Azerbaijani Manat (₼)

Azerbaijani Manat exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.7 AZN (1 AZN = 0.588 USD). 1 EUR = 1.91 AZN (1 AZN = 0.523 EUR).

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).

USD to AZN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Samaxi Playa del Carmen 11,810 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Samaxi
Playa del Carmen

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

Samaxi vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,263 per month in Samaxi and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samaxi, 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 $842 in Samaxi and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 43%.

Public transport costs about 90% less in Samaxi. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Samaxi, where all-in costs run around $842, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Samaxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Samaxi – 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 Samaxi. 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.