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: $1,174 in Ar-rass versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,802 in Ar-rass versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,431 in Ar-rass versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 7% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 SAR 24.71

$11.99 MX$210

-45.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.89 SAR 165

$41.78 MX$733

5.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 SAR 29.79

$10.75 MX$189

-26.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Cappuccino

$3.69 SAR 13.87

$3.50 MX$61.3

5.43%

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

$0.79 SAR 2.97

$1.45 MX$25.41

-45.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 SAR 1.08

$0.88 MX$15.52

-67.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 SAR 8.77

$1.43 MX$25.12

62.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 SAR 3.97

$1.84 MX$32.23

-42.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 SAR 5.69

$1.57 MX$27.51

-3.82%

Eggs

$3.62 SAR 13.58

$2.51 MX$44.06

44.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.82 SAR 25.62

$8.28 MX$145

-17.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.40 SAR 27.79

$8.43 MX$148

-12.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.14 SAR 49.34

$10.68 MX$187

23.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 SAR 8.19

$2.61 MX$45.76

-16.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 SAR 6.17

$1.44 MX$25.22

13.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.47

$1.96 MX$34.41

-12.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 SAR 5.85

$2.09 MX$36.74

-25.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 SAR 4.61

$1.85 MX$32.47

-33.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 SAR 4.76

$2.17 MX$38.02

-41.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 SAR 4.67

$1.03 MX$18.09

20.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 SAR 2.07

$1.07 MX$18.84

-48.60%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.40 SAR 9.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.23 SAR 23.40

$4.10 MX$72.0

51.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 SAR 3.98

$0.51 MX$8.93

107.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.89 SAR 150

$26.04 MX$457

53.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 SAR 9.94

$3.23 MX$56.7

-17.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 SAR 6.98

$2.41 MX$42.19

-22.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.19 SAR 49.53

$3.23 MX$56.6

308.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 SAR 2.18

$1.32 MX$23.17

-56.06%

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

$26.4K SAR 99.3K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-10.94%

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

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

-6.14%

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

$107 SAR 403

$82.0 MX$1,439

31.00%

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

$33.12 SAR 124

$22.95 MX$403

44.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.8 SAR 273

$30.11 MX$528

141.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.13 SAR 169

$52.0 MX$912

-13.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.22 SAR 132

$18.53 MX$325

90.07%

Cinema Ticket

$15.83 SAR 59.5

$4.98 MX$87.3

217.87%

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

$355 SAR 1,334

$197 MX$3,463

79.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,847 SAR 25.7K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

28.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.29 SAR 79.9

$35.60 MX$624

-40.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.0 SAR 225

$40.33 MX$707

48.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 SAR 297

$78.8 MX$1,381

0.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 SAR 312

$88.9 MX$1,560

-6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 SAR 1,641

$947 MX$16.6K

-53.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 SAR 1,450

$474 MX$8,314

-18.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 SAR 1,442

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-76.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 SAR 2,309

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-49.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,551 SAR 9,580

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-37.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,264 SAR 4,747

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-80.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,700 SAR 6,383

$654 MX$11.5K

159.96%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Ar-rass and $947 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,174 vs $1,256 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 160% higher in Ar-rass, 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: $437 in Ar-rass versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $355 in Ar-rass versus $197 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 22% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,174 in Ar-rass versus $1,256 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.