Cost of Living Comparison Between Embu das Artes and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Embu das Artes and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $789 per month in Embu das Artes vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,304 per month in Embu das Artes vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,819 per month in Embu das Artes vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Embu das Artes is about 38% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Embu das Artes and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Embu das Artes 41% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.36 R$32.20

$11.87 MX$204

-46.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.52 R$170

$42.90 MX$736

-21.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.39 R$37.43

$10.65 MX$183

-30.61%

Cappuccino

$1.87 R$9.48

$3.45 MX$59.2

-45.80%

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

$1.24 R$6.27

$1.50 MX$25.81

-17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.60

$0.95 MX$16.28

-4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 R$9.05

$3.03 MX$51.9

-40.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$14.92

$4.61 MX$79.1

-36.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.12

$1.38 MX$23.61

-26.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 R$7.62

$1.85 MX$31.70

-18.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.65

$1.61 MX$27.65

-18.63%

Eggs

$2.37 R$12.00

$2.59 MX$44.51

-8.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 R$42.66

$8.26 MX$142

2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.76 R$19.02

$8.37 MX$144

-55.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.54 R$43.24

$10.66 MX$183

-19.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 R$11.00

$2.63 MX$45.12

-17.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 R$8.84

$1.49 MX$25.53

17.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.43

$1.92 MX$32.94

-23.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 R$7.78

$2.09 MX$35.81

-26.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.61

$1.86 MX$31.88

-29.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.70

$2.26 MX$38.81

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 R$4.08

$1.06 MX$18.23

-23.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$1.09 MX$18.67

-43.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 R$12.41

$4.15 MX$71.2

-40.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.46 R$42.85

$10.39 MX$178

-18.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R$6.81

$1.72 MX$29.59

-21.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 R$12.01

$2.61 MX$44.85

-9.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.41

$0.54 MX$9.30

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.11 R$193

$26.94 MX$462

41.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 R$4.63

$3.13 MX$53.7

-70.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R$3.81

$2.51 MX$43.09

-70.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.75 R$44.31

$3.15 MX$54.1

177.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.31

$1.27 MX$21.88

-17.32%

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

$21.8K R$110.4K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-28.22%

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

$28.6K R$145.0K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

21.54%

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

$47.33 R$240

$83.0 MX$1,425

-42.98%

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

$13.19 R$66.8

$22.71 MX$390

-41.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.65 R$94.4

$29.46 MX$506

-36.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.58 R$114

$51.0 MX$875

-55.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.66 R$110

$18.33 MX$315

18.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 R$27.14

$4.93 MX$84.5

8.72%

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

$312 R$1,577

$197 MX$3,386

57.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,805 R$34.5K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

28.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 R$257

$36.90 MX$633

37.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.01 R$213

$39.89 MX$685

5.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 R$397

$80.0 MX$1,373

-2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 R$369

$89.5 MX$1,536

-18.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 R$1,620

$956 MX$16.4K

-66.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 R$1,109

$477 MX$8,189

-54.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 R$3,000

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-64.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 R$2,153

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-65.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,630 R$8,252

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-58.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$957 R$4,847

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-85.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

11.42

-4.38%

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

Last update for Embu das Artes: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $320 in Embu das Artes versus $956 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Embu das Artes versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $250 – making Embu das Artes the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Embu das Artes vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $789 in Embu das Artes, $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 61% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,183 per month in Embu das Artes and $1,906 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 Embu das Artes, 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 $789 in Embu das Artes and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 41% less in Embu das Artes. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Embu das Artes, where all-in costs run around $789, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Embu das Artes it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $789 in Embu das Artes to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Embu das Artes. 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.