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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,068 in Arkhangelsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,606 in Arkhangelsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,144 in Arkhangelsk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 21% more expensive than Arkhangelsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Arkhangelsk 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$9.37 ₽691

25.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$37.20 ₽2,745

11.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.42 ₽474

65.73%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.07 ₽153

70.05%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$1.16 ₽85.9

30.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.47 ₽34.91

106.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.10 ₽155

40.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$1.30 ₽95.6

242.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.11 ₽81.9

24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.77 ₽56.6

145.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$2.02 ₽149

-18.81%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.63 ₽120

53.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$11.28 ₽832

-26.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$5.63 ₽415

48.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.33 ₽762

3.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.63 ₽120

59.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.74 ₽128

-16.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$2.28 ₽169

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$2.07 ₽153

0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.72 ₽53.1

147.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.64 ₽47.59

242.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.92 ₽67.7

13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.55 ₽40.34

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$3.20 ₽236

27.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$9.66 ₽713

6.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$1.12 ₽82.8

52.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$1.66 ₽123

55.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.49 ₽36.34

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$2.27 ₽167

43.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.41 ₽104

76.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$6.31 ₽465

-48.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$0.75 ₽55.1

74.67%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$34.9K ₽2.6M

-13.15%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$34.9K ₽2.6M

-32.94%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$153 ₽11.3K

-45.66%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$7.27 ₽537

205.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$9.75 ₽720

200.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$31.82 ₽2,348

62.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$25.47 ₽1,880

-28.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$4.65 ₽343

9.03%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$323 ₽23.8K

-37.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$6,958 ₽513.4K

-25.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$129 ₽9,527

-71.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$37.34 ₽2,755

6.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$64.5 ₽4,758

21.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$76.9 ₽5,673

13.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$450 ₽33.2K

115.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$381 ₽28.1K

22.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$632 ₽46.6K

159.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$569 ₽42.0K

114.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$1,781 ₽131.4K

121.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$1,332 ₽98.3K

387.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$585 ₽43.1K

13.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

15.75

-27.49%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Arkhangelsk: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $450 in Arkhangelsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 14% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Arkhangelsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $206 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 21% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,068 including rent). Arkhangelsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 14% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $450 in Arkhangelsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $323 in Arkhangelsk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arkhangelsk – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,068 in Arkhangelsk versus $1,297 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 21% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.