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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,160 in Artem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,784 in Artem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,408 in Artem.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 8% more expensive than in Artem, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Artem 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$15.05 ₽1,183

-20.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$37.44 ₽2,941

11.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.86 ₽460

83.45%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.89 ₽227

21.11%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.00 ₽78.7

45.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.64 ₽50.0

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.25 ₽98.4

136.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.15 ₽248

43.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.57 ₽123

-8.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.68 ₽53.3

170.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.73 ₽136

-9.25%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.75 ₽216

-8.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$11.32 ₽889

-26.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.99 ₽470

40.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$10.60 ₽833

0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.52 ₽198

3.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.35 ₽184

-38.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.71 ₽213

-27.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$3.02 ₽237

-30.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.87 ₽68.6

112.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.85 ₽66.8

155.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.69 ₽133

-39.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.21 ₽95.2

-11.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.02 ₽238

35.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.64 ₽679

17.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.09 ₽85.4

54.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$3.19 ₽251

-20.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.49 ₽38.41

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.92 ₽151

68.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.17 ₽13.36

1317.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$6.39 ₽502

-49.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.74 ₽57.8

78.38%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$32.3K ₽2.5M

-7.94%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$38.2K ₽3.0M

-38.06%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$181 ₽14.2K

-54.71%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$5.46 ₽429

320.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$8.81 ₽692

241.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$36.14 ₽2,839

43.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.53 ₽434

-9.95%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$486 ₽38.2K

-59.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,960 ₽546.8K

-23.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$122 ₽9,584

-70.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$59.0 ₽4,634

-31.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$81.7 ₽6,419

-3.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$153 ₽12.0K

-41.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$436 ₽34.3K

116.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$301 ₽23.7K

57.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$775 ₽60.9K

112.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$513 ₽40.3K

135.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,291 ₽180.0K

77.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,596 ₽125.4K

305.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-45.62%

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 Artem: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $436 in Artem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Artem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $243 per month, with Artem 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 Artem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Artem wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Artem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,740 in Artem to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $436 in Artem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $486 in Artem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Artem – 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 $1,160 in Artem versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Artem but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Artem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Artem delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,160 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Artem hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Artem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.