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: $1,751 in Athienou versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,711 in Athienou versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,672 in Athienou versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Athienou is roughly 39% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athienou is 32% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 €14.88

$11.72 MX$203

46.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €51.1

$41.89 MX$725

40.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 €7.69

$10.51 MX$182

-15.51%

Cappuccino

$3.64 €3.15

$3.59 MX$62.0

1.39%

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

$1.57 €1.36

$1.51 MX$26.10

3.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.84

$0.92 MX$15.83

5.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.07

$2.96 MX$51.2

19.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 €3.74

$4.41 MX$76.3

-2.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.40 MX$24.16

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.88 MX$32.60

-10.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 €2.12

$1.56 MX$26.97

57.05%

Eggs

$3.81 €3.30

$2.61 MX$45.14

45.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.34 €13.28

$8.32 MX$144

84.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 €7.44

$8.35 MX$145

2.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.26 €11.49

$10.86 MX$188

22.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.46

$2.71 MX$46.93

4.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.51 MX$26.04

18.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.87 MX$32.41

2.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.35

$2.19 MX$37.89

23.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.86 MX$32.14

-28.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.23 MX$38.59

-47.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 €0.55

$1.07 MX$18.48

-40.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.09 MX$18.79

-24.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.65 €4.89

$4.19 MX$72.4

34.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 €7.08

$10.43 MX$180

-21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 €1.54

$1.66 MX$28.68

7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 €2.04

$2.61 MX$45.19

-9.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.04

$0.54 MX$9.37

337.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 €45.87

$26.16 MX$453

102.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.35 €6.36

$3.08 MX$53.3

138.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 €1.72

$2.40 MX$41.61

-17.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.00 €18.19

$3.13 MX$54.1

570.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 €1.43

$1.31 MX$22.69

25.95%

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

$25.5K €22.1K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-14.44%

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

$33.6K €29.1K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

44.12%

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

$187 €162

$81.3 MX$1,406

130.28%

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

$22.68 €19.64

$22.56 MX$390

0.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.54 €29.91

$30.05 MX$520

14.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.8 €61.3

$52.9 MX$915

33.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.30 €26.24

$18.39 MX$318

64.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.67 €10.11

$4.92 MX$85.1

137.20%

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

$439 €380

$201 MX$3,474

118.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,956 €6,890

$5,175 MX$89.5K

53.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.1 €64.2

$35.92 MX$622

106.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.87 €27.60

$40.13 MX$694

-20.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 €77.8

$79.7 MX$1,379

12.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €91.3

$86.5 MX$1,496

21.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 €663

$978 MX$16.9K

-21.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 €558

$470 MX$8,140

36.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 €1,356

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-5.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,128

$1,203 MX$20.8K

8.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,167 €2,743

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-19.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,651 €2,296

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-59.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,749 €1,514

$677 MX$11.7K

158.45%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $766 in Athienou and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athienou pays 158% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $252 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 39% in total monthly costs ($1,751 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 158% 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: $766 in Athienou versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,751 per month in Athienou versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 39% 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 102% less than in Athienou. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,751 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 39% less than in Athienou. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.