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: $1,719 in Athienou versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,724 in Athienou versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,729 in Athienou versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Athienou is roughly 34% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athienou is 28% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.63 €15.09

$11.94 MX$209

47.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 €48.89

$42.75 MX$748

33.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 €7.24

$10.59 MX$185

-20.11%

Cappuccino

$3.76 €3.22

$3.62 MX$63.4

3.87%

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

$1.57 €1.34

$1.47 MX$25.69

6.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.78

$0.94 MX$16.51

-2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.89

$3.09 MX$54.1

9.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 €3.67

$4.46 MX$78.0

-3.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.48

$1.43 MX$24.94

20.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 €1.52

$1.88 MX$32.97

-5.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.63 MX$28.50

43.56%

Eggs

$3.77 €3.22

$2.64 MX$46.26

42.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 €12.91

$8.21 MX$144

83.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 €7.45

$8.29 MX$145

4.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 €11.49

$11.10 MX$194

20.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 €2.40

$2.65 MX$46.40

5.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.50 MX$26.26

26.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.99 MX$34.79

-5.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 €2.23

$2.08 MX$36.33

25.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.79 MX$31.29

-24.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 €0.96

$2.18 MX$38.09

-48.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 €0.55

$1.08 MX$18.84

-39.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.04 MX$18.15

-15.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.94 €5.08

$3.97 MX$69.5

49.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 €7.17

$10.20 MX$179

-17.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.73 MX$30.22

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.01

$2.50 MX$43.71

-6.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €1.92

$0.52 MX$9.07

330.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.6 €44.14

$26.97 MX$472

91.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 €6.46

$3.14 MX$55.0

140.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 €1.67

$2.40 MX$42.04

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.42 €18.34

$3.09 MX$54.0

593.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.27 MX$22.28

23.62%

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

$26.3K €22.5K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

-14.99%

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

$32.9K €28.1K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

40.94%

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

$191 €163

$82.0 MX$1,435

132.40%

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

$22.77 €19.49

$22.45 MX$393

1.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.52 €29.55

$29.66 MX$519

16.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.1 €60.8

$51.9 MX$908

36.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.30 €25.08

$18.67 MX$327

56.94%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 €9.89

$4.97 MX$87.0

132.39%

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

$435 €372

$198 MX$3,462

119.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,855 €6,724

$5,273 MX$92.3K

48.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 €64.1

$36.34 MX$636

106.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.31 €27.66

$40.05 MX$701

-19.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 €78.6

$79.9 MX$1,398

14.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €92.6

$88.9 MX$1,555

21.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 €649

$963 MX$16.9K

-21.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 €559

$465 MX$8,133

40.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 €1,300

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-4.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,294 €1,108

$1,209 MX$21.2K

7.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,764 €3,222

$3,942 MX$69.0K

-4.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,526 €2,163

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-60.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,795 €1,537

$720 MX$12.6K

149.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.74

11.42

-67.25%

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

Last update for Athienou: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $758 in Athienou and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athienou pays 149% 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: $57.0 in Athienou vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $251 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,719 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Athienou pays 149% more on average, 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: $758 in Athienou versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,719 per month in Athienou versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 34% 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 91% less than in Athienou. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,719 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 34% less than in Athienou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.