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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,176 in Artem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,775 in Artem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,375 in Artem.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 10% more expensive than Artem, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Artem 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$14.97 ₽1,093

-21.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$38.40 ₽2,803

8.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.91 ₽432

80.03%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.00 ₽219

17.33%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.05 ₽76.3

43.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.68 ₽49.77

42.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.24 ₽90.3

137.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.20 ₽234

39.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.56 ₽114

-11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.73 ₽53.0

158.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.82 ₽133

-9.89%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.73 ₽199

-8.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$11.43 ₽834

-27.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.07 ₽443

37.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$10.60 ₽774

1.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.51 ₽183

3.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.27 ₽166

-35.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$2.66 ₽194

-28.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$3.02 ₽221

-31.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.87 ₽63.7

104.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.84 ₽61.2

160.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.67 ₽122

-37.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$1.18 ₽86.1

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$3.01 ₽220

35.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$8.91 ₽650

15.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.15 ₽84.1

48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$3.23 ₽235

-20.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.53 ₽38.87

-3.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.86 ₽136

75.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.17 ₽12.37

1364.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.64 ₽485

-51.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.72 ₽52.8

81.94%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$31.9K ₽2.3M

-5.09%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$38.1K ₽2.8M

-38.53%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$176 ₽12.8K

-52.90%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$5.74 ₽419

287.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$8.51 ₽621

244.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$36.24 ₽2,645

42.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$5.74 ₽419

-11.67%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$475 ₽34.7K

-57.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,897 ₽503.4K

-24.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$119 ₽8,719

-69.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$59.2 ₽4,319

-32.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$81.7 ₽5,964

-3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$150 ₽10.9K

-41.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$449 ₽32.8K

116.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$303 ₽22.1K

54.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$760 ₽55.5K

116.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$514 ₽37.5K

137.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,646 ₽193.1K

49.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,615 ₽117.8K

302.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Artem: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $449 in Artem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Artem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $245 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 10% 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 $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,764 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $449 in Artem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $475 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 $38.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,176 in Artem versus $1,297 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 $1,176 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 10% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.