Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arequipa and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Arequipa: $709 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Arequipa
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Arequipa Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Arequipa

🇵🇪 Peru

$709

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arequipa 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 Arequipa and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $709 per month in Arequipa vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Arequipa $709
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,117 per month in Arequipa vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Arequipa $1,117
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $1,524 per month in Arequipa vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Arequipa $1,524
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Arequipa is about 41% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Arequipa and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Arequipa 48% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.46 PEN 11.87

$10.86 MX$201

-68.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.89 PEN 95.8

$44.21 MX$817

-36.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 PEN 20.37

$11.76 MX$217

-49.57%

Cappuccino

$2.42 PEN 8.31

$3.68 MX$68.0

-34.24%

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

$0.81 PEN 2.78

$1.34 MX$24.79

-39.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 PEN 1.33

$0.82 MX$15.24

-52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 PEN 7.16

$3.06 MX$56.6

-31.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 PEN 14.68

$4.94 MX$91.2

-13.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 PEN 4.61

$1.47 MX$27.17

-8.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 PEN 4.66

$2.22 MX$40.95

-38.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 PEN 4.99

$1.48 MX$27.32

-2.03%

Eggs

$2.29 PEN 7.85

$2.49 MX$45.99

-8.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.25 PEN 21.47

$7.52 MX$139

-16.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 PEN 15.75

$7.96 MX$147

-42.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.33 PEN 25.16

$12.57 MX$232

-41.69%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 PEN 6.03

$2.78 MX$51.3

-36.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 PEN 4.05

$1.43 MX$26.37

-17.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 PEN 3.88

$2.62 MX$48.37

-56.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 PEN 3.41

$2.14 MX$39.49

-53.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.29

$2.02 MX$37.38

-66.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 PEN 2.31

$1.99 MX$36.74

-66.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 PEN 1.91

$1.14 MX$21.01

-50.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 PEN 2.60

$1.20 MX$22.18

-36.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.13 PEN 17.62

$4.26 MX$78.7

20.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 PEN 17.80

$10.02 MX$185

-48.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 PEN 9.17

$1.54 MX$28.41

73.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 PEN 7.90

$2.66 MX$49.17

-13.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 PEN 0.95

$0.53 MX$9.73

-47.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 PEN 6.92

$4.90 MX$90.6

-58.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 PEN 6.92

$3.43 MX$63.5

-41.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.01 PEN 44.68

$5.38 MX$99.4

141.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 PEN 5.28

$1.45 MX$26.76

6.21%

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

$18.9K PEN 65.0K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-10.55%

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

$25.1K PEN 86.3K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

9.21%

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

$23.36 PEN 80.2

$85.4 MX$1,577

-72.63%

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

$10.26 PEN 35.24

$23.46 MX$434

-56.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.44 PEN 80.5

$28.43 MX$525

-17.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 PEN 86.1

$62.2 MX$1,149

-59.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.00 PEN 27.47

$28.68 MX$530

-72.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.35 PEN 25.24

$5.10 MX$94.3

44.12%

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

$75.3 PEN 258

$201 MX$3,715

-62.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,598 PEN 22.7K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

67.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.74 PEN 164

$44.39 MX$820

7.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.42 PEN 90.7

$41.35 MX$764

-36.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.6 PEN 232

$72.7 MX$1,344

-7.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.5 PEN 198

$89.6 MX$1,656

-35.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$347 PEN 1,192

$979 MX$18.1K

-64.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 PEN 813

$373 MX$6,887

-36.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 PEN 2,471

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-57.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 PEN 1,439

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-61.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,963 PEN 6,740

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-50.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$989 PEN 3,397

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-83.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$619 PEN 2,125

$738 MX$13.6K

-16.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

31.00%

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

Last update for Arequipa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Arequipa

$237 33.4%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 57.5% $136

Groceries & Markets

Arequipa

$174 24.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 48.6% $84

Eating Out

Arequipa

$98 13.9%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 104% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Arequipa

$90 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 24.5% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arequipa

$57 8.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 141% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Arequipa

$40 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 82% $33

Getting Around

Arequipa

$13 * 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 292% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $347 in Arequipa versus $979 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.

Salaries run about 19% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $258 – making Arequipa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Arequipa

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:53 3:53 PM

Same time as Arequipa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,062

149,923

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arequipa Playa del Carmen 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Arequipa
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

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

Playa del Carmen costs about 70% more than Arequipa, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,063 per month in Arequipa and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arequipa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28.00 in Arequipa and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 49% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arequipa, where all-in costs run around $709, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Arequipa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arequipa costs $709 versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arequipa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.