Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aranjuez and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,642 in Aranjuez, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Aranjuez, Spain
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Aranjuez
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,642
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aranjuez and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aranjuez and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,642 per month in Aranjuez vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Aranjuez $1,642
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,370 per month in Aranjuez vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Aranjuez $2,370
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,098 per month in Aranjuez vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Aranjuez $3,098
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Aranjuez costs about 36% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Aranjuez sits 21% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Aranjuez
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.36 €11.97
$10.92 MX$203
22.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.3 €59.5
$43.37 MX$808
52.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 €11.04
$11.78 MX$219
4.58%
Cappuccino
$2.67 €2.39
$3.81 MX$71.0
-29.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 €2.31
$1.28 MX$23.89
101.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.09 €1.87
$0.78 MX$14.58
167.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.37 €3.02
$3.17 MX$59.0
6.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.55 €4.07
$4.93 MX$91.9
-7.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Aranjuez
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 €1.09
$1.41 MX$26.20
-13.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.30 €1.17
$2.22 MX$41.30
-41.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.42 MX$26.40
25.35%
Eggs
$3.50 €3.13
$2.52 MX$47.00
38.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.68 €9.57
$7.26 MX$135
47.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.09 €7.25
$7.70 MX$143
5.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.47 €13.87
$12.69 MX$236
21.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.47 €2.22
$2.78 MX$51.9
-11.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 €1.68
$1.37 MX$25.49
36.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.88 €1.69
$2.55 MX$47.52
-26.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.64 €2.37
$2.12 MX$39.55
24.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 €1.52
$1.94 MX$36.11
-12.37%
Onion (1kg)
$1.78 €1.59
$1.89 MX$35.13
-5.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 €1.03
$1.15 MX$21.36
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 €0.71
$1.18 MX$21.96
-33.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.90 €6.18
$4.30 MX$80.0
60.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.71 €5.12
$9.95 MX$185
-42.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 €1.19
$1.58 MX$29.50
-15.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 €1.45
$2.67 MX$49.76
-39.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Aranjuez
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 €1.38
$0.55 MX$10.31
180.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$35.18 €31.53
$26.62 MX$496
32.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.34 €3.89
$4.97 MX$92.6
-12.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.28 €1.15
$3.33 MX$62.1
-61.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.43 €20.99
$5.36 MX$99.8
337.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.83 €1.64
$1.44 MX$26.90
27.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.0K €29.5K
$20.7K MX$385.0K
59.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.4K €27.3K
$23.5K MX$437.2K
29.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aranjuez
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$132 €118
$84.8 MX$1,580
55.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.03 €14.37
$23.41 MX$436
-31.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.44 €30.86
$28.66 MX$534
20.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Aranjuez
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.87 €40.21
$57.1 MX$1,063
-21.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 €13.28
$28.91 MX$539
-48.74%
Cinema Ticket
$11.11 €9.95
$5.14 MX$95.7
116.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Aranjuez
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$580 €519
$207 MX$3,848
180.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,530 €8,540
$3,927 MX$73.2K
142.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Aranjuez
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.5 €82.0
$43.35 MX$808
111.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.21 €37.83
$41.44 MX$772
1.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.4 €85.5
$74.2 MX$1,382
28.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 €106
$89.3 MX$1,663
32.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Aranjuez
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$954 €855
$980 MX$18.2K
-2.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$710 €636
$381 MX$7,095
86.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,366 €1,224
$1,708 MX$31.8K
-20.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$921 €825
$1,075 MX$20.0K
-14.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,242 €2,905
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-17.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,901 €1,704
$6,158 MX$114.7K
-69.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Aranjuez
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.41
11.45
-70.22%

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

Last update for Aranjuez: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Aranjuez
$710
Playa del Carmen
$381 46.4% $329
Groceries & Markets
Aranjuez
$254
Playa del Carmen
$255 0.4% $1.1
Eating Out
Aranjuez
$220
Playa del Carmen
$202 8.2% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Aranjuez
$183
Playa del Carmen
$137 25% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Aranjuez
$156
Playa del Carmen
$112 28.6% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Aranjuez
$67
Playa del Carmen
$67 0.3% $0.2
Getting Around
Aranjuez
$52
Playa del Carmen
$50 3.1% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Aranjuez versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Aranjuez versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $254 in Aranjuez vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Aranjuez wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇪🇸 Aranjuez
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
05:26 5:26 AM
23:26 11:26 PM
6 h behind Aranjuez
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
60,668
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Aranjuez Playa del Carmen 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Aranjuez
  • Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Aranjuez vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Aranjuez?
Yes – Aranjuez is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,463 per month in Aranjuez and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Aranjuez and Playa del Carmen?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $954 in Aranjuez and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in Aranjuez or in Playa del Carmen?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Aranjuez and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 24% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Aranjuez or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Aranjuez at $1,642. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aranjuez it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Aranjuez or in Playa del Carmen?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,642 in Aranjuez. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Aranjuez vs other spots: cost of living compared

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