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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $999 in Kholmsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,536 in Kholmsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,073 in Kholmsk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 31% more expensive than in Kholmsk, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Kholmsk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$9.56 ₽804

25.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$38.59 ₽3,243

22.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.87 ₽493

100.17%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.61 ₽219

57.85%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.95 ₽79.9

47.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.66 ₽55.8

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.87 ₽158

71.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.16 ₽266

123.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.96 ₽80.5

75.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.78 ₽65.3

175.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.19 ₽99.8

48.74%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$1.52 ₽128

85.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$9.74 ₽819

-5.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$5.58 ₽469

65.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.99 ₽1,007

5.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.96 ₽164

50.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.79 ₽150

-11.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.98 ₽166

12.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$2.38 ₽200

-0.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.81 ₽68.3

145.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.62 ₽52.2

219.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.40 ₽118

-11.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.79 ₽66.5

53.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$3.01 ₽253

52.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.65 ₽643

37.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.10 ₽92.6

53.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.10 ₽176

31.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.50 ₽42.42

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.46 ₽207

113.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.35 ₽29.78

942.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$4.60 ₽387

25.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$0.77 ₽65.0

100.00%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$27.9K ₽2.3M

-18.32%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$30.5K ₽2.6M

-15.43%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$129 ₽10.9K

-29.78%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$4.96 ₽417

407.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$9.16 ₽770

246.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$33.83 ₽2,844

103.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$25.92 ₽2,178

13.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$5.51 ₽463

-11.80%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$349 ₽29.4K

-35.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$5,894 ₽495.4K

-28.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$58.4 ₽4,912

-18.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$40.14 ₽3,374

8.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$110 ₽9,210

-26.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$82.8 ₽6,961

10.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$393 ₽33.0K

176.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$316 ₽26.5K

29.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$677 ₽56.9K

191.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$572 ₽48.1K

124.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$2,134 ₽179.4K

89.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,398 ₽117.5K

379.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-45.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kholmsk: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $393 in Kholmsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Kholmsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $205 per month, with Kholmsk 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 Kholmsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kholmsk wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kholmsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,499 in Kholmsk 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $393 in Kholmsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $999 in Kholmsk – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $999 in Kholmsk versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kholmsk but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Kholmsk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kholmsk delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $999 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kholmsk hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Kholmsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.