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: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $966 in Kholmsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,479 in Kholmsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,999 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,993 in Kholmsk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 31% more expensive than Kholmsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kholmsk 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$9.57 ₽718

21.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$37.48 ₽2,813

11.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$5.87 ₽441

77.17%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$2.28 ₽171

58.33%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.13 ₽84.7

30.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.48 ₽35.96

89.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.41 ₽106

114.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.60 ₽195

71.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.11 ₽83.3

24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$0.69 ₽52.1

166.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.44 ₽108

11.81%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$2.19 ₽164

17.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$10.76 ₽807

-21.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$4.84 ₽363

75.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$8.77 ₽658

25.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$1.81 ₽136

50.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.89 ₽142

-20.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.92 ₽144

2.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$2.76 ₽207

-23.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$0.84 ₽63.1

121.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$0.67 ₽50.5

223.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$1.34 ₽101

-20.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.67 ₽50.5

56.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.96 ₽222

41.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$7.85 ₽589

30.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.03 ₽77.2

62.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$1.88 ₽141

32.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.53 ₽39.86

1.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.85 ₽139

67.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.35 ₽26.55

602.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.26 ₽470

-48.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$0.74 ₽55.3

70.27%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$34.3K ₽2.6M

-12.15%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$35.1K ₽2.6M

-33.25%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$110 ₽8,246

-23.57%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$6.03 ₽452

268.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$8.02 ₽602

269.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$35.90 ₽2,694

46.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$4.94 ₽371

0.20%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$318 ₽23.8K

-37.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$7,051 ₽529.1K

-24.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$71.1 ₽5,338

-49.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$44.95 ₽3,373

-10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$115 ₽8,644

-31.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$107 ₽8,055

-19.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$440 ₽33.0K

122.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$301 ₽22.6K

56.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$776 ₽58.2K

105.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$509 ₽38.2K

138.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$997 ₽74.8K

304.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,522 ₽114.2K

332.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$596 ₽44.7K

19.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

18.33

-37.70%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Kholmsk: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $977 in Playa del Carmen and $440 in Kholmsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 20% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42 in Playa del Carmen vs $37 in Kholmsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $199 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.

Playa del Carmen pays 20% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $440 in Kholmsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $966 in Kholmsk – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $966 in Kholmsk versus $1,261 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 $966 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.