Cost of Living Comparison Between Artem and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Artem and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,160 in Artem versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,784 in Artem versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,408 in Artem versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Artem costs roughly 8% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Artem 13% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.05 ₽1,182

$11.99 MX$210

25.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.44 ₽2,939

$41.78 MX$733

-10.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.86 ₽460

$10.75 MX$189

-45.49%

Cappuccino

$2.89 ₽227

$3.50 MX$61.3

-17.43%

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

$1.00 ₽78.6

$1.45 MX$25.41

-31.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ₽49.97

$0.88 MX$15.52

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 ₽98.3

$2.95 MX$51.7

-57.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ₽248

$4.51 MX$79.1

-30.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ₽123

$1.43 MX$25.12

9.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 ₽53.3

$1.84 MX$32.23

-63.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 ₽136

$1.57 MX$27.51

10.19%

Eggs

$2.75 ₽216

$2.51 MX$44.06

9.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 ₽888

$8.28 MX$145

36.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 ₽470

$8.43 MX$148

-28.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.60 ₽832

$10.68 MX$187

-0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 ₽198

$2.61 MX$45.76

-3.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 ₽184

$1.44 MX$25.22

63.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 ₽212

$1.96 MX$34.41

38.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 ₽237

$2.09 MX$36.74

44.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 ₽68.5

$1.85 MX$32.47

-52.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 ₽66.7

$2.17 MX$38.02

-60.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 ₽132

$1.03 MX$18.09

64.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 ₽95.1

$1.07 MX$18.84

13.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 ₽237

$4.10 MX$72.0

-26.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.64 ₽678

$10.17 MX$178

-15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 ₽85.3

$1.68 MX$29.38

-35.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₽251

$2.53 MX$44.31

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 ₽38.38

$0.51 MX$8.93

-3.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 ₽151

$3.23 MX$56.7

-40.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₽13.35

$2.41 MX$42.19

-92.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 ₽502

$3.23 MX$56.6

97.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 ₽57.8

$1.32 MX$23.17

-43.94%

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

$32.3K ₽2.5M

$29.7K MX$520.9K

8.63%

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

$38.2K ₽3.0M

$23.7K MX$415.0K

61.45%

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

$181 ₽14.2K

$82.0 MX$1,439

120.78%

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

$5.46 ₽429

$22.95 MX$403

-76.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.81 ₽691

$30.11 MX$528

-70.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.14 ₽2,836

$52.0 MX$912

-30.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$5.53 ₽434

$4.98 MX$87.3

11.04%

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

$486 ₽38.1K

$197 MX$3,463

146.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,960 ₽546.3K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

30.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 ₽9,575

$35.60 MX$624

242.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 ₽4,630

$40.33 MX$707

46.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 ₽6,413

$78.8 MX$1,381

3.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 ₽12.0K

$88.9 MX$1,560

71.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ₽34.3K

$947 MX$16.6K

-53.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 ₽23.7K

$474 MX$8,314

-36.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$775 ₽60.8K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-52.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 ₽40.3K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-57.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,291 ₽179.8K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-43.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,596 ₽125.3K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-75.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

83.89%

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

Last update for Artem: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $436 in Artem and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Artem vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $249 per month, with Artem cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Artem wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Artem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,740 in Artem and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $436 in Artem versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $486 in Artem versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Artem – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,160 in Artem versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Artem but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Artem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Artem delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,160 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Artem hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Artem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.