Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Embu das Artes Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Embu das Artes

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,265 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $902 in Embu das Artes, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,466 in Embu das Artes, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,030 in Embu das Artes, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 40% more than Embu das Artes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Embu das Artes are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Embu das Artes 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 MX$198

$7.04 R$35.98

63.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.90 MX$807

$38.53 R$197

21.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 MX$205

$8.17 R$41.78

45.65%

Cappuccino

$4.02 MX$69.3

$2.11 R$10.78

90.52%

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

$1.37 MX$23.55

$1.34 R$6.83

2.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.04

$0.82 R$4.19

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 MX$56.8

$2.98 R$15.24

10.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 MX$116

$4.23 R$21.64

58.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.26

$1.15 R$5.89

42.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.99

$1.82 R$9.31

18.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.49

$1.12 R$5.74

58.04%

Eggs

$2.75 MX$47.36

$2.62 R$13.40

4.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.15 MX$158

$8.79 R$44.93

4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$159

$4.48 R$22.91

106.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 MX$214

$10.35 R$52.9

19.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$49.92

$2.74 R$13.99

5.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.79

$1.75 R$8.92

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.20

$1.64 R$8.36

31.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 MX$38.65

$1.76 R$9.02

27.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.81

$1.40 R$7.14

44.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.79

$1.29 R$6.57

56.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$20.56

$0.87 R$4.44

36.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.54

$0.73 R$3.73

54.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 MX$76.2

$2.70 R$13.81

64.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.63 MX$183

$9.00 R$45.99

18.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.87

$1.64 R$8.36

2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 MX$49.97

$2.52 R$12.86

15.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.39

$1.00 R$5.13

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.09 MX$501

$42.21 R$216

-31.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$91.5

$1.31 R$6.70

306.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.57 MX$61.4

$0.94 R$4.79

279.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.88 MX$101

$9.66 R$49.35

-39.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$25.96

$1.27 R$6.49

18.90%

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

$22.3K MX$384.7K

$23.2K R$118.3K

-3.47%

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

$25.7K MX$441.7K

$32.6K R$166.7K

-21.33%

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

$90.6 MX$1,559

$46.00 R$235

96.85%

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

$25.44 MX$438

$14.73 R$75.3

72.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.61 MX$527

$18.23 R$93.2

67.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 MX$1,152

$25.81 R$132

159.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.47 MX$507

$23.23 R$119

26.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 MX$84.4

$7.62 R$38.96

-35.56%

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

$216 MX$3,711

$434 R$2,217

-50.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,125 MX$71.0K

$7,521 R$38.4K

-45.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.02 MX$792

$55.1 R$282

-16.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.24 MX$761

$58.3 R$298

-24.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 MX$1,349

$95.5 R$488

-17.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.0 MX$1,584

$83.6 R$427

10.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 MX$18.3K

$305 R$1,558

248.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,784

$233 R$1,190

69.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,120 MX$36.5K

$660 R$3,376

221.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,259 MX$21.7K

$477 R$2,439

163.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,072 MX$70.1K

$1,394 R$7,124

192.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,606 MX$113.7K

$1,053 R$5,383

527.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 MX$12.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.12

2.97%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 21, 2026

Last update for Embu das Artes: September 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,061 in Playa del Carmen versus $305 in Embu das Artes. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Embu das Artes. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $214 – making Embu das Artes 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 Embu das Artes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,265 in Playa del Carmen, $902 in Embu das Artes – roughly 40% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,898 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,353 in Embu das Artes. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Embu das Artes, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,265 in Playa del Carmen and $902 in Embu das Artes. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 45% less in Embu das Artes. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Embu das Artes, where all-in costs run around $902, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,265. In Embu das Artes 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 $902 in Embu das Artes to $1,265 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Embu das Artes. 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.