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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,523 in Acquarossa versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,404 in Acquarossa versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,284 in Acquarossa versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Acquarossa is roughly 181% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Acquarossa is 164% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.20 CHF 24.42

$11.99 MX$210

151.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$146 CHF 118

$41.78 MX$733

249.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.59 CHF 16.65

$10.75 MX$189

91.53%

Cappuccino

$6.91 CHF 5.59

$3.50 MX$61.3

97.43%

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

$5.83 CHF 4.71

$1.45 MX$25.41

302.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.22

$0.88 MX$15.52

493.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 CHF 8.13

$2.95 MX$51.7

240.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.70 CHF 7.04

$4.51 MX$79.1

92.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.83

$1.43 MX$25.12

58.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 CHF 2.66

$1.84 MX$32.23

78.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 CHF 3.31

$1.57 MX$27.51

161.15%

Eggs

$7.52 CHF 6.08

$2.51 MX$44.06

199.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.19 CHF 24.41

$8.28 MX$145

264.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.03 CHF 26.71

$8.43 MX$148

291.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$49.58 CHF 40.09

$10.68 MX$187

364.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 CHF 3.41

$2.61 MX$45.76

61.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.88 CHF 2.33

$1.44 MX$25.22

100.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 CHF 2.49

$1.96 MX$34.41

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.24 CHF 4.23

$2.09 MX$36.74

150.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 CHF 2.31

$1.85 MX$32.47

54.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.86

$2.17 MX$38.02

5.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CHF 2.10

$1.03 MX$18.09

151.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 CHF 1.34

$1.07 MX$18.84

55.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.99 CHF 8.89

$4.10 MX$72.0

168.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.45 CHF 10.87

$10.17 MX$178

32.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CHF 2.14

$1.68 MX$29.38

57.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 CHF 2.63

$2.53 MX$44.31

28.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 CHF 3.24

$0.51 MX$8.93

686.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.9 CHF 80.8

$26.04 MX$457

283.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.52 CHF 6.08

$3.23 MX$56.7

132.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.30 CHF 3.47

$2.41 MX$42.19

78.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.7 CHF 71.7

$3.23 MX$56.6

2645.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.80

$1.32 MX$23.17

68.18%

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

$40.9K CHF 33.0K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

37.61%

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

$39.8K CHF 32.2K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

68.17%

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

$256 CHF 207

$82.0 MX$1,439

212.06%

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

$36.29 CHF 29.34

$22.95 MX$403

58.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 CHF 48.24

$30.11 MX$528

98.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.5 CHF 72.4

$52.0 MX$912

72.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$24.84 CHF 20.08

$4.98 MX$87.3

398.80%

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

$3,353 CHF 2,711

$197 MX$3,463

1598.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.1K CHF 31.6K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

631.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 112

$35.60 MX$624

289.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 CHF 42.13

$40.33 MX$707

29.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 119

$78.8 MX$1,381

86.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 CHF 166

$88.9 MX$1,560

130.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CHF 1,366

$947 MX$16.6K

78.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 CHF 1,170

$474 MX$8,314

205.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,865 CHF 2,316

$1,644 MX$28.8K

74.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,502 CHF 2,023

$1,211 MX$21.2K

106.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.5K CHF 12.5K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

281.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.2K CHF 9,038

$6,470 MX$113.5K

72.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$12.3K CHF 9,925

$654 MX$11.5K

1777.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

11.42

-81.70%

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

Last update for Acquarossa: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Acquarossa and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acquarossa pays 1777% 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: $146 in Acquarossa vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $673 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

Acquarossa vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 181% lower than in Acquarossa. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1777% higher in Acquarossa, 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: $1,690 in Acquarossa versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 171% higher in Acquarossa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $146 in Acquarossa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,523 in Acquarossa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Acquarossa. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Acquarossa and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Acquarossa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.