Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taraz and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Taraz: $628 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in Taraz
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Taraz Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Taraz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$628

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Taraz 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 Taraz and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $628 per month in Taraz vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taraz $628
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $1,004 per month in Taraz vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taraz $1,004
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $1,381 per month in Taraz vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Taraz $1,381
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Taraz is about 48% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Taraz and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Taraz 54% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.97 ₸4,056

$10.76 MX$199

-16.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.50 ₸10.2K

$43.03 MX$795

-47.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.75 ₸3,051

$11.79 MX$218

-42.75%

Cappuccino

$1.53 ₸691

$3.87 MX$71.4

-60.47%

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

$0.85 ₸383

$1.37 MX$25.29

-37.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 ₸204

$0.84 MX$15.44

-46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 ₸510

$3.10 MX$57.3

-63.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ₸818

$5.07 MX$93.6

-64.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 ₸491

$1.44 MX$26.55

-24.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 ₸196

$2.23 MX$41.23

-80.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 ₸589

$1.47 MX$27.17

-11.56%

Eggs

$1.68 ₸761

$2.53 MX$46.71

-33.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.13 ₸4,580

$7.30 MX$135

38.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 ₸2,346

$7.86 MX$145

-33.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.39 ₸3,794

$12.79 MX$236

-34.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 ₸519

$2.90 MX$53.6

-60.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 ₸997

$1.44 MX$26.53

53.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 ₸1,122

$2.55 MX$47.07

-2.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 ₸621

$2.06 MX$38.03

-33.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 ₸251

$2.00 MX$36.97

-72.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 ₸181

$2.01 MX$37.07

-80.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 ₸411

$1.19 MX$22.02

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 ₸380

$1.26 MX$23.23

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.42 ₸1,093

$4.40 MX$81.4

-45.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.41 ₸1,995

$9.59 MX$177

-54.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₸468

$1.59 MX$29.41

-34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₸696

$2.81 MX$51.9

-45.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸82.4

$0.57 MX$10.47

-68.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₸385

$4.98 MX$92.1

-82.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ₸158

$3.50 MX$64.6

-90.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 ₸1,839

$5.40 MX$99.8

-24.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.66 ₸301

$1.47 MX$27.08

-55.10%

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

$28.1K ₸12.7M

$21.0K MX$387.8K

33.99%

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

$27.6K ₸12.5M

$23.9K MX$441.8K

15.53%

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

$47.60 ₸21.5K

$84.2 MX$1,556

-43.47%

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

$8.76 ₸3,960

$23.99 MX$443

-63.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.00 ₸4,068

$29.02 MX$536

-68.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.98 ₸16.3K

$63.0 MX$1,164

-42.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 ₸1,996

$4.94 MX$91.3

-10.53%

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

$58.8 ₸26.6K

$204 MX$3,763

-71.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.80 ₸12.1K

$43.60 MX$806

-38.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.70 ₸15.7K

$43.12 MX$797

-19.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ₸50.9K

$75.8 MX$1,400

48.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.6 ₸23.8K

$88.6 MX$1,637

-40.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 ₸121.9K

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-73.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$110 ₸49.6K

$374 MX$6,911

-70.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 ₸203.2K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-73.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$200 ₸90.4K

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-81.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$865 ₸391.1K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-78.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$611 ₸276.3K

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-90.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$272 ₸123.0K

$754 MX$13.9K

-63.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

17.83

11.45

55.72%

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

Last update for Taraz: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Taraz

$178 28.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 45.4% $81

Eating Out

Taraz

$125 19.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 62% $77

Accommodation & Living

Taraz

$110 17.5%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 241% $264

Clothing & Footwear

Taraz

$102 16.3%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 10.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Taraz

$65 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 110% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Taraz

$45 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 62.6% $28

Getting Around

Taraz

$3.3 * 0.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 1478% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $270 in Taraz versus $1,008 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 177% 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 $22.00 in Taraz versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $178 vs $258 – making Taraz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Taraz

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:49 5:49 PM

06:49 6:49 AM

11 h behind Taraz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,160

149,923

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Taraz Playa del Carmen 12,610 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Taraz
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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $942 per month in Taraz and $1,816 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 Taraz, 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 $628 in Taraz and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 93%.

Kindergarten costs $58.8 per month in Taraz and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Taraz, where all-in costs run around $628, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Taraz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Taraz – 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 Taraz. 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.