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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,087 in Arkhangelsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,603 in Arkhangelsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,118 in Arkhangelsk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 16% more expensive than in Arkhangelsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Arkhangelsk 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$9.54 ₽750

25.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$36.15 ₽2,840

15.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.52 ₽512

64.88%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.14 ₽168

63.55%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.17 ₽92.1

23.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.51 ₽40.38

72.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.11 ₽166

39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.24 ₽97.2

263.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.12 ₽88.0

27.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.77 ₽60.9

138.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.97 ₽155

-20.30%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.65 ₽130

52.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$11.23 ₽882

-26.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.85 ₽460

44.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.33 ₽812

3.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.63 ₽128

60.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.80 ₽141

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.31 ₽181

-15.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$2.01 ₽158

3.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.72 ₽56.7

156.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.60 ₽47.51

261.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.99 ₽77.6

4.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.59 ₽46.17

81.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.20 ₽251

28.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.30 ₽731

9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.13 ₽88.6

48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.68 ₽132

50.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.54 ₽42.06

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.24 ₽176

44.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.35 ₽106

78.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$6.18 ₽486

-47.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.73 ₽57.0

80.82%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$34.7K ₽2.7M

-14.41%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$35.3K ₽2.8M

-32.95%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$151 ₽11.8K

-45.61%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$7.25 ₽569

216.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$9.58 ₽753

214.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$32.05 ₽2,518

62.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$25.07 ₽1,970

-26.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.50 ₽353

10.67%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$321 ₽25.2K

-38.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,874 ₽540.0K

-22.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$126 ₽9,884

-71.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$38.17 ₽2,999

5.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$62.3 ₽4,895

26.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$76.2 ₽5,983

16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$444 ₽34.9K

113.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$381 ₽29.9K

24.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$646 ₽50.8K

154.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$564 ₽44.3K

114.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,697 ₽133.3K

139.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,262 ₽99.2K

412.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$552 ₽43.4K

18.38%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Arkhangelsk: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $444 in Arkhangelsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 18% 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 $36.00 in Arkhangelsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $208 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 16% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,087 including rent). Arkhangelsk is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $444 in Arkhangelsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $321 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 $36.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,087 in Arkhangelsk versus $1,256 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 16% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.