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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,076 in Arkhangelsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,673 in Arkhangelsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,271 in Arkhangelsk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 20% more expensive than in Arkhangelsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Arkhangelsk 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$46.28 ₽3,971

0.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$9.18 ₽788

26.91%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$3.54 ₽303

15.54%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$2.31 ₽198

-40.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$2.33 ₽200

-64.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$3.57 ₽307

-6.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$5.95 ₽510

16.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.06 ₽90.6

63.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$0.92 ₽78.6

145.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$1.79 ₽153

-1.12%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$1.62 ₽139

68.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$8.08 ₽693

13.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$5.63 ₽483

58.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$12.50 ₽1,073

0.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$2.39 ₽205

26.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$1.70 ₽146

-7.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$1.14 ₽98.2

86.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$2.36 ₽203

-4.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$0.83 ₽71.0

140.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$0.45 ₽38.52

357.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.47 ₽40.48

151.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.55 ₽47.58

118.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$2.83 ₽243

63.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$8.14 ₽698

31.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$0.78 ₽67.3

107.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.88 ₽248

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.58 ₽49.98

-1.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$50.3 ₽4,320

-40.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$4.58 ₽393

19.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.16 ₽13.71

2212.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$0.82 ₽70.3

89.02%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$47.1K ₽4.0M

-52.61%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$34.2K ₽2.9M

-24.17%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$108 ₽9,256

-17.37%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$9.36 ₽804

167.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$17.72 ₽1,521

77.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$52.5 ₽4,506

29.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

$45.63 ₽3,916

-36.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$9.37 ₽804

-46.10%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$176 ₽15.1K

27.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$80.8 ₽6,936

-41.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$34.23 ₽2,938

31.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$91.3 ₽7,835

-10.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$91.5 ₽7,852

0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$500 ₽42.9K

113.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$379 ₽32.5K

6.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$708 ₽60.7K

173.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$615 ₽52.8K

111.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$1,471 ₽126.2K

171.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

$1,109 ₽95.1K

497.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$488 ₽41.9K

53.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-50.22%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Arkhangelsk: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $500 in Arkhangelsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 53% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $46.00 in Arkhangelsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $200 per month, with Arkhangelsk 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Arkhangelsk differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $1,076 including rent). Arkhangelsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $500 in Arkhangelsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,076 in Arkhangelsk – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Arkhangelsk runs roughly 69% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,076 in Arkhangelsk versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arkhangelsk but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Arkhangelsk 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 Arkhangelsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.