Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and Playa del Carmen

😐 Solo nomad: Arlington, VA is 94.6% more expensive than Playa del Carmen without rent, and 185.9% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Arlington, VA is 91.9% more expensive than Playa del Carmen without rent, and 132.9% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.46 $24.46
$11.85 MX$209
106.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$91.7 $91.7
$42.16 MX$744
117.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.06 $12.06
$10.75 MX$190
12.19%
Cappuccino
$5.65 $5.65
$3.47 MX$61.3
62.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 $2.88
$1.45 MX$25.65
98.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 $2.51
$0.90 MX$15.93
178.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$3.05 MX$53.9
164.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.96 $8.96
$4.42 MX$77.9
102.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.25 $1.25
$1.37 MX$24.17
-8.76%
White Bread (500g)
$4.18 $4.18
$1.87 MX$33.05
123.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.76 $6.76
$1.54 MX$27.25
338.96%
Eggs
$4.40 $4.40
$2.50 MX$44.18
76.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.36 $17.36
$8.61 MX$152
101.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.12 $15.12
$8.63 MX$152
75.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.08 $21.08
$11.02 MX$195
91.29%
Apples (1kg)
$6.10 $6.10
$2.75 MX$48.53
121.82%
Banana (1kg)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.43 MX$25.21
44.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.34 $5.34
$1.87 MX$33.05
185.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.97 $5.97
$2.17 MX$38.26
175.12%
Potato (1kg)
$3.40 $3.40
$1.88 MX$33.23
80.85%
Onion (1kg)
$3.24 $3.24
$2.25 MX$39.65
44.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.66 $2.66
$1.07 MX$18.85
148.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 $2.48
$1.07 MX$18.95
131.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.57 $12.57
$4.15 MX$73.3
202.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.11 $17.11
$10.34 MX$182
65.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.68 MX$29.64
17.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.19 $4.19
$2.48 MX$43.84
68.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.47 $3.47
$0.55 MX$9.80
530.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$127 $127
$26.53 MX$468
379.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.95 $2.95
$3.22 MX$56.8
-8.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 $1.52
$2.48 MX$43.80
-38.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.32 $22.32
$3.11 MX$54.9
617.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 $0.88
$1.26 MX$22.16
-30.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.5K $30.5K
$30.7K MX$541.1K
-0.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K $25.9K
$24.0K MX$424.3K
7.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$211 $211
$82.5 MX$1,456
155.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$60.6 $60.6
$22.29 MX$393
171.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.4 $70.4
$30.02 MX$530
134.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$78.3 $78.3
$51.4 MX$908
52.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$24.15 $24.15
$18.29 MX$323
32.04%
Cinema Ticket
$14.84 $14.84
$4.98 MX$88.0
197.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,064 $2,064
$200 MX$3,530
932.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$40.0K $40.0K
$5,304 MX$93.6K
654.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.6 $56.6
$35.71 MX$630
58.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.1 $50.1
$39.56 MX$698
26.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.6 $94.6
$80.6 MX$1,422
17.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$144 $144
$88.3 MX$1,559
62.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,505 $2,505
$969 MX$17.1K
158.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,886 $1,886
$482 MX$8,511
291.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,375 $4,375
$1,595 MX$28.2K
174.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,506 $3,506
$1,184 MX$20.9K
196.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,654 $5,654
$4,050 MX$71.5K
39.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,532 $4,532
$6,522 MX$115.1K
-30.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,510 $6,510
$756 MX$13.4K
760.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.55
11.42
-42.64%

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

Last update for Arlington, VA: March 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: March 3, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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