Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cholpon-Ata Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Cholpon-Ata

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $465 in Cholpon-Ata, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $771 in Cholpon-Ata, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,077 in Cholpon-Ata, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 170% more than Cholpon-Ata, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Cholpon-Ata are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Cholpon-Ata 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.19 KGS 541

93.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$21.51 KGS 1,880

94.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.79 KGS 507

85.66%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.07 KGS 181

69.08%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.67 KGS 58.7

116.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.33 KGS 28.62

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.21 KGS 106

143.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$1.75 KGS 153

157.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.88 KGS 76.9

62.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.45 KGS 39.31

308.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.53 KGS 133

2.61%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.72 KGS 150

45.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$8.03 KGS 702

3.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.04 KGS 441

67.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$7.97 KGS 696

34.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.03 KGS 89.9

153.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.83 KGS 160

-21.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$2.12 KGS 185

-7.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.74 KGS 152

20.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.59 KGS 51.7

213.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.49 KGS 42.94

342.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.59 KGS 51.3

74.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.51 KGS 44.64

109.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.70 KGS 149

141.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.18 KGS 715

24.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.13 KGS 98.5

48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.95 KGS 171

29.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.40 KGS 122

130.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.22 KGS 19.12

995.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$3.44 KGS 301

-6.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.85 KGS 74.6

55.29%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$37.0K KGS 3.2M

-19.85%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.4K KGS 2.9M

-29.16%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$34.08 KGS 2,979

140.64%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$6.97 KGS 610

229.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$11.75 KGS 1,028

156.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.46 KGS 390

11.66%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$196 KGS 17.2K

0.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$4,465 KGS 390.4K

19.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$36.91 KGS 3,227

-3.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$40.40 KGS 3,532

-0.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$96.0 KGS 8,391

-17.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$101 KGS 8,829

-11.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

20.11

-43.21%

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 Cholpon-Ata: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Cholpon-Ata. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $170 – making Cholpon-Ata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cholpon-Ata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $465 in Cholpon-Ata – roughly 170% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $697 in Cholpon-Ata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $22.00 in Cholpon-Ata. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cholpon-Ata, where all-in costs run around $465, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Cholpon-Ata it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $465 in Cholpon-Ata to $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cholpon-Ata. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.