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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $962 in Kholmsk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,478 in Kholmsk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,994 in Kholmsk.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 32% more expensive than Kholmsk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$9.62 ₽691

23.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$38.12 ₽2,741

12.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$5.87 ₽422

81.43%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$2.35 ₽169

46.81%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$1.11 ₽80.1

35.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.52 ₽37.37

82.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$1.43 ₽103

111.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$2.49 ₽179

85.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$1.16 ₽83.6

18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.65 ₽46.64

184.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$1.36 ₽97.7

18.38%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$2.12 ₽152

22.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$10.80 ₽777

-23.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$4.83 ₽347

73.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$8.84 ₽636

20.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$1.81 ₽130

45.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$1.80 ₽130

-17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$1.92 ₽138

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$2.80 ₽201

-25.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$0.79 ₽56.7

135.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$0.66 ₽47.43

242.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$1.37 ₽98.2

-22.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.71 ₽51.2

53.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$2.97 ₽214

39.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$8.62 ₽620

20.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$0.97 ₽69.7

77.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$1.93 ₽139

35.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$0.53 ₽37.75

1.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$1.87 ₽134

67.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$0.35 ₽25.37

617.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$6.48 ₽466

-51.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$0.73 ₽52.8

73.97%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$34.1K ₽2.4M

-10.86%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$36.2K ₽2.6M

-34.90%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$110 ₽7,908

-24.54%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$5.79 ₽416

292.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$8.04 ₽578

266.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$35.18 ₽2,530

44.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$5.03 ₽362

-1.99%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$330 ₽23.7K

-40.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$7,024 ₽505.1K

-24.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$70.7 ₽5,083

-47.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$44.37 ₽3,190

-10.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$113 ₽8,089

-28.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$106 ₽7,604

-15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$440 ₽31.7K

117.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$304 ₽21.9K

56.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$747 ₽53.7K

120.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$504 ₽36.2K

142.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$2,468 ₽177.4K

58.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$1,670 ₽120.1K

286.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Kholmsk: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $440 in Kholmsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Kholmsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $200 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 32% 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 $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,443 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: $956 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 25% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $962 in Kholmsk – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $962 in Kholmsk versus $1,271 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 $962 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 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.