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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $970 in Kholmsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,492 in Kholmsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,015 in Kholmsk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 30% more expensive than in Kholmsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Kholmsk 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$9.30 ₽722

28.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$733

$38.51 ₽2,990

8.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$5.59 ₽434

86.40%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.4

$2.37 ₽184

48.10%

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

$1.52 MX$26.50

$1.07 ₽83.0

42.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.91

$0.52 ₽40.08

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.1

$1.42 ₽110

114.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.4

$2.62 ₽203

66.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.84

$1.11 ₽86.5

27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.00

$0.65 ₽50.5

181.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.57

$1.41 ₽110

15.60%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.38

$2.15 ₽167

18.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$10.87 ₽844

-21.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$148

$4.81 ₽373

76.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$8.63 ₽670

25.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.14

$1.82 ₽141

51.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.10

$1.82 ₽141

-20.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.97

$1.89 ₽147

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.93

$2.66 ₽206

-18.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.10

$0.84 ₽65.0

111.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.87

$0.66 ₽51.1

236.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.68

$1.42 ₽110

-24.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.87

$0.68 ₽52.8

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$2.89 ₽224

43.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$8.29 ₽643

26.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.47

$0.94 ₽72.9

85.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.11

$1.85 ₽144

39.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.97

$0.49 ₽37.74

4.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.1

$1.85 ₽144

73.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.73

$0.32 ₽25.14

681.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$6.33 ₽491

-49.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.96

$0.77 ₽60.0

63.64%

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

$29.7K MX$518.8K

$33.7K ₽2.6M

-11.97%

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

$23.7K MX$413.9K

$35.3K ₽2.7M

-32.91%

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

$82.0 MX$1,434

$109 ₽8,431

-24.46%

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

$22.73 MX$397

$5.89 ₽457

285.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$514

$7.99 ₽620

268.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$912

$35.49 ₽2,756

47.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$322

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.2

$4.95 ₽384

-0.40%

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

$202 MX$3,526

$321 ₽24.9K

-37.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.2K

$6,997 ₽543.2K

-25.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$628

$70.4 ₽5,465

-48.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$705

$44.37 ₽3,445

-9.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,396

$116 ₽9,038

-31.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,561

$105 ₽8,154

-14.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

$442 ₽34.4K

114.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,132

$306 ₽23.8K

52.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$774 ₽60.1K

110.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.8K

$506 ₽39.3K

135.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.7K

$2,366 ₽183.7K

66.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.3K

$1,345 ₽104.4K

377.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Kholmsk: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $442 in Kholmsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Kholmsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $198 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 30% 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 $1,888 in Playa del Carmen and $1,455 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $442 in Kholmsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $970 in Kholmsk – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $970 in Kholmsk versus $1,259 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 $970 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 30% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.