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: $1,096 in Ar-rass versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,661 in Ar-rass versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,226 in Ar-rass versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ar-rass costs roughly 15% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ar-rass 20% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.54 SAR 24.56

$11.71 MX$199

-44.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.31 SAR 140

$46.59 MX$791

-19.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 SAR 30.39

$11.65 MX$198

-30.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 SAR 6.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 SAR 7.67

Cappuccino

$3.31 SAR 12.43

$4.09 MX$69.5

-19.07%

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

$0.83 SAR 3.11

$1.37 MX$23.34

-39.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 SAR 0.90

$0.83 MX$14.16

-71.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 SAR 7.09

$1.73 MX$29.33

9.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 SAR 1.46

$2.26 MX$38.39

-82.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 SAR 7.05

$1.77 MX$30.05

6.21%

Eggs

$3.54 SAR 13.30

$2.73 MX$46.41

29.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 SAR 27.40

$9.18 MX$156

-20.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 SAR 30.36

$8.92 MX$151

-9.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 SAR 48.76

$12.60 MX$214

3.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 SAR 7.90

$3.02 MX$51.3

-30.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 SAR 6.45

$1.57 MX$26.68

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 SAR 5.82

$2.13 MX$36.10

-27.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 SAR 6.08

$2.26 MX$38.46

-28.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 SAR 4.14

$2.00 MX$34.04

-45.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 SAR 4.74

$2.06 MX$35.06

-38.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 SAR 4.52

$1.18 MX$20.04

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.05

$1.20 MX$20.45

-55.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.88 SAR 10.81

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 SAR 7.06

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 SAR 7.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.88 SAR 29.60

$4.63 MX$78.7

70.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$182

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.93

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 SAR 4.15

$0.57 MX$9.74

92.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.78 SAR 146

$29.83 MX$507

30.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 SAR 10.92

$5.45 MX$92.5

-46.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 SAR 6.96

$3.70 MX$62.9

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.96 SAR 52.4

$5.98 MX$102

133.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 SAR 2.22

$1.55 MX$26.38

-61.94%

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

$42.1K SAR 158.2K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

88.74%

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

$21.1K SAR 79.3K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

-18.65%

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

$99.9 SAR 375

$89.1 MX$1,514

12.05%

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

$23.70 SAR 89.0

$25.04 MX$425

-5.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 SAR 226

$31.50 MX$535

91.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.92 SAR 165

$67.8 MX$1,151

-35.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.59 SAR 145

$28.92 MX$491

33.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 SAR 50.6

$5.05 MX$85.8

166.93%

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

$346 SAR 1,298

$225 MX$3,820

53.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,243 SAR 23.4K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

47.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 SAR 189

$47.44 MX$806

6.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 SAR 229

$44.98 MX$764

35.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.4 SAR 358

$82.0 MX$1,392

16.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 SAR 379

$92.1 MX$1,564

9.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 SAR 2,196

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-45.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$356 SAR 1,337

$405 MX$6,884

-12.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 SAR 1,415

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-80.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 SAR 2,133

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-56.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,639 SAR 9,909

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-33.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 SAR 4,779

$6,626 MX$112.5K

-80.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 SAR 6,536

$749 MX$12.7K

132.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.47

11.45

-52.23%

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

Last update for Ar-rass: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $585 in Ar-rass and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 132% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Ar-rass vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $277 per month, with Ar-rass 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

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

Ar-rass and Playa del Carmen differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,096 vs $1,293 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% 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: $585 in Ar-rass versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $346 in Ar-rass versus $225 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 40% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,096 in Ar-rass versus $1,293 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 18% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.