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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,730 in Athienou versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,664 in Athienou versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,598 in Athienou versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Athienou is roughly 37% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athienou is 26% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.92 €12.14

$11.60 MX$200

20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.8 €51.3

$47.11 MX$812

24.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 €6.21

$11.88 MX$205

-40.07%

Cappuccino

$3.62 €3.16

$3.98 MX$68.6

-9.05%

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

$1.70 €1.48

$1.43 MX$24.60

18.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.91

$0.82 MX$14.22

26.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.94

$3.19 MX$55.0

5.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 €3.50

$6.79 MX$117

-40.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.68 MX$28.89

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.20 MX$37.88

-31.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 €2.08

$1.71 MX$29.45

39.18%

Eggs

$4.13 €3.60

$2.74 MX$47.26

50.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.37 €11.65

$9.58 MX$165

39.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 €7.96

$9.01 MX$155

1.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 €10.53

$12.81 MX$221

-5.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.35

$2.89 MX$49.81

-6.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.67

$1.50 MX$25.81

28.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 €1.46

$2.15 MX$37.03

-22.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$2.26 MX$38.96

20.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 €1.28

$1.98 MX$34.15

-25.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.02

$1.99 MX$34.30

-41.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.62 €0.54

$1.23 MX$21.28

-49.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.93

$1.20 MX$20.63

-10.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.94 €5.18

$4.55 MX$78.5

30.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.18

$10.37 MX$179

-31.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.62 MX$27.91

6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.79

$2.88 MX$49.67

-28.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.60 €2.26

$0.60 MX$10.35

333.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 €49.43

$28.80 MX$497

96.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.45 €6.50

$5.39 MX$92.9

38.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.73 MX$64.3

-42.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.25 €20.27

$5.77 MX$99.5

302.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 €1.42

$1.54 MX$26.48

5.84%

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

$34.5K €30.1K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

53.14%

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

$32.9K €28.6K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

26.13%

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

$173 €151

$91.4 MX$1,576

89.54%

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

$19.03 €16.59

$25.20 MX$435

-24.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.56 €27.51

$31.24 MX$539

1.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.0 €59.3

$67.2 MX$1,159

1.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.57 €25.77

$29.11 MX$502

1.58%

Cinema Ticket

$10.79 €9.41

$4.86 MX$83.8

122.02%

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

$397 €346

$224 MX$3,856

77.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,059 €6,153

$4,229 MX$72.9K

66.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 €60.3

$47.10 MX$812

46.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 €29.50

$44.29 MX$764

-23.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 €62.4

$80.1 MX$1,381

-10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 €80.2

$92.7 MX$1,598

-0.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 €792

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-14.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 €641

$390 MX$6,728

88.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 €1,698

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-9.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 €1,089

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-1.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,890 €3,391

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-2.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,286 €1,993

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-64.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,101 €1,832

$758 MX$13.1K

177.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

11.45

-71.09%

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

Last update for Athienou: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $909 in Athienou and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athienou pays 177% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in Athienou vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $276, with Athienou cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Athienou and Playa del Carmen differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,730 vs $1,266 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 177% higher in Athienou, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $909 in Athienou versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,730 per month in Athienou versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 97% less than in Athienou. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,730 in Athienou, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Athienou. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Athienou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.