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: $3,455 in Acquarossa versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,316 in Acquarossa versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,177 in Acquarossa versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Acquarossa is roughly 166% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Acquarossa is 158% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.59 CHF 24.12

$11.73 MX$203

160.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 CHF 118

$41.62 MX$720

260.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.92 CHF 16.49

$10.64 MX$184

96.62%

Cappuccino

$6.74 CHF 5.32

$3.52 MX$60.9

91.48%

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

$5.92 CHF 4.67

$1.51 MX$26.12

292.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 CHF 4.02

$0.97 MX$16.84

425.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.76 CHF 7.70

$2.95 MX$51.0

230.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.56 CHF 6.75

$4.45 MX$77.0

92.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CHF 1.71

$1.38 MX$23.93

57.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 CHF 2.65

$1.89 MX$32.72

78.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 CHF 3.25

$1.64 MX$28.32

151.83%

Eggs

$7.52 CHF 5.93

$2.51 MX$43.34

199.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$29.93 CHF 23.59

$8.34 MX$144

258.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.51 CHF 26.42

$8.34 MX$144

301.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$50.7 CHF 40.00

$10.73 MX$186

372.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.24

$2.60 MX$45.04

58.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 CHF 2.29

$1.46 MX$25.20

99.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.35

$1.90 MX$32.87

56.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 CHF 3.93

$2.08 MX$35.91

139.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 CHF 2.23

$1.78 MX$30.71

58.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$2.19 MX$37.80

6.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.96

$1.04 MX$17.99

139.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 CHF 1.37

$1.08 MX$18.62

60.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.17 CHF 8.81

$4.08 MX$70.6

173.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 CHF 11.98

$10.32 MX$178

47.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 CHF 2.10

$1.71 MX$29.61

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 CHF 2.52

$2.58 MX$44.54

23.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 CHF 3.01

$0.51 MX$8.81

649.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.9 CHF 76.4

$26.46 MX$458

266.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 CHF 6.05

$3.26 MX$56.4

135.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.24

$2.49 MX$43.09

65.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.3 CHF 69.6

$3.25 MX$56.2

2615.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.76

$1.31 MX$22.61

70.99%

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

$40.2K CHF 31.7K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

32.61%

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

$39.9K CHF 31.5K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

70.26%

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

$260 CHF 205

$82.9 MX$1,433

213.50%

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

$35.79 CHF 28.22

$22.22 MX$384

61.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 CHF 46.02

$29.34 MX$507

98.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$87.5 CHF 69.0

$51.6 MX$893

69.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$24.21 CHF 19.08

$5.07 MX$87.6

377.51%

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

$3,346 CHF 2,638

$201 MX$3,473

1566.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.0K CHF 30.7K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

647.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$139 CHF 110

$36.92 MX$639

276.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 CHF 42.41

$39.79 MX$688

35.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$147 CHF 116

$78.5 MX$1,357

87.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 CHF 162

$87.1 MX$1,506

135.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 CHF 1,316

$973 MX$16.8K

71.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 CHF 1,152

$468 MX$8,090

212.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,869 CHF 2,262

$1,641 MX$28.4K

74.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,434 CHF 1,919

$1,221 MX$21.1K

99.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.6K CHF 11.5K

$3,946 MX$68.3K

269.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,972 CHF 7,862

$6,498 MX$112.4K

53.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$12.5K CHF 9,854

$664 MX$11.5K

1782.57%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,669 in Acquarossa and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acquarossa pays 1783% 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: $150 in Acquarossa vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $680 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 166% 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.

Acquarossa pays 1783% 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: $1,669 in Acquarossa versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 173% 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 $150 in Acquarossa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,455 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 $1,297 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 166% less than in Acquarossa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.