Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Ar-rass and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,169 in Ar-rass versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,770 in Ar-rass versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,372 in Ar-rass versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 13% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 SAR 24.58

$11.73 MX$203

-44.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.10 SAR 166

$41.62 MX$720

5.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 SAR 29.52

$10.64 MX$184

-26.03%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$3.62 SAR 13.57

$3.52 MX$60.9

2.84%

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

$0.76 SAR 2.84

$1.51 MX$26.12

-49.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$0.97 MX$16.84

-70.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 SAR 8.97

$1.38 MX$23.93

73.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 SAR 3.79

$1.89 MX$32.72

-46.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$1.64 MX$28.32

-5.49%

Eggs

$3.61 SAR 13.56

$2.51 MX$43.34

43.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 SAR 25.40

$8.34 MX$144

-18.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.45 SAR 27.96

$8.34 MX$144

-10.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.04 SAR 48.93

$10.73 MX$186

21.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 SAR 8.38

$2.60 MX$45.04

-14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.16

$1.46 MX$25.20

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 SAR 6.56

$1.90 MX$32.87

-7.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.87

$2.08 MX$35.91

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 SAR 4.81

$1.78 MX$30.71

-28.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 SAR 4.92

$2.19 MX$37.80

-40.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 SAR 4.46

$1.04 MX$17.99

14.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 SAR 2.20

$1.08 MX$18.62

-45.37%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 SAR 23.61

$4.08 MX$70.6

54.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 SAR 4.08

$0.51 MX$8.81

113.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.20 SAR 147

$26.46 MX$458

48.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 SAR 9.78

$3.26 MX$56.4

-19.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 SAR 7.22

$2.49 MX$43.09

-22.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$3.25 MX$56.2

314.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.21

$1.31 MX$22.61

-54.96%

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

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-10.75%

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

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-3.57%

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

$104 SAR 390

$82.9 MX$1,433

25.52%

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

$33.90 SAR 127

$22.22 MX$384

52.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 SAR 273

$29.34 MX$507

147.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.87 SAR 165

$51.6 MX$893

-15.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.18 SAR 132

$18.32 MX$317

92.03%

Cinema Ticket

$15.52 SAR 58.3

$5.07 MX$87.6

206.11%

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

$349 SAR 1,310

$201 MX$3,473

73.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,909 SAR 25.9K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

32.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.12 SAR 79.3

$36.92 MX$639

-42.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.3 SAR 230

$39.79 MX$688

54.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 SAR 298

$78.5 MX$1,357

1.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.4 SAR 309

$87.1 MX$1,506

-5.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$445 SAR 1,669

$973 MX$16.8K

-54.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 SAR 1,434

$468 MX$8,090

-18.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$388 SAR 1,455

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-76.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 SAR 2,303

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-49.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,559 SAR 9,604

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-35.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,508 SAR 5,658

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-76.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,728 SAR 6,485

$664 MX$11.5K

160.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.42

11.42

-61.30%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $445 in Ar-rass and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 160% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Ar-rass vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $205 vs $249, with Ar-rass cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Ar-rass and Playa del Carmen differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,169 vs $1,297 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ar-rass pays 160% 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: $445 in Ar-rass versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $349 in Ar-rass versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,169 in Ar-rass versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.