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 68.4% more expensive than Playa del Carmen without rent, and 184.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Arlington, VA is 123.9% more expensive than Playa del Carmen without rent, and 134.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.54 $24.54
$11.99 MX$227
104.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.5 $88.5
$42.47 MX$803
108.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.84 $11.84
$10.47 MX$198
13.09%
Cappuccino
$5.41 $5.41
$3.6 MX$68.2
50.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.44 MX$27.16
103.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.5 $2.5
$0.89 MX$16.79
180.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.02 $8.02
$3.09 MX$58.5
159.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.82 $8.82
$4.58 MX$86.6
92.58%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.38 MX$26.04
-10.14%
White Bread (500g)
$4.1 $4.1
$1.85 MX$34.9
121.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.81 $6.81
$1.57 MX$29.68
333.76%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$2.55 MX$48.3
69.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.79 $17.79
$8.61 MX$163
106.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.75 $14.75
$8.54 MX$161
72.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.38 $21.38
$10.98 MX$208
94.72%
Apples (1kg)
$6.26 $6.26
$2.72 MX$51.4
130.15%
Banana (1kg)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.51 MX$28.57
36.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.22 $5.22
$1.88 MX$35.63
177.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.71 $5.71
$2.19 MX$41.42
160.73%
Potato (1kg)
$3.44 $3.44
$1.87 MX$35.3
83.96%
Onion (1kg)
$3.39 $3.39
$2.19 MX$41.37
54.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 $2.65
$1.07 MX$20.23
147.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$1.09 MX$20.64
124.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.3 $12.3
$3.96 MX$74.9
210.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.17 $17.17
$8.86 MX$167
93.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03 $2.03
$1.72 MX$32.53
18.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.29 $4.29
$2.61 MX$49.37
64.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.43 $3.43
$0.52 MX$9.74
559.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$125 $125
$26.59 MX$503
371.08%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.02 $3.02
$3.24 MX$61.2
-6.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.59 $1.59
$2.38 MX$44.94
-33.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.75 $21.75
$3.11 MX$58.7
599.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.31 MX$24.85
-30.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.6K $29.6K
$30.3K MX$573K
-2.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26K $26K
$24K MX$453.6K
8.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 $205
$84.2 MX$1,592
142.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.8 $59.8
$22.14 MX$419
169.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$30.14 MX$570
131.88%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.7 $76.7
$52 MX$983
47.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.96 $23.96
$18.72 MX$354
27.99%
Cinema Ticket
$14.84 $14.84
$5.07 MX$95.9
192.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,074 $2,074
$200 MX$3,787
935.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$39.4K $39.4K
$5,333 MX$100.8K
638.78%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.9 $55.9
$35.74 MX$676
56.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.48 $49.48
$39.8 MX$753
24.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$92.6 $92.6
$79 MX$1,493
17.25%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 $141
$88.4 MX$1,671
59.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,473 $2,473
$965 MX$18.3K
156.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,930 $1,930
$474 MX$8,968
306.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,350 $4,350
$1,653 MX$31.2K
163.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,575 $3,575
$1,202 MX$22.7K
197.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,644 $4,644
$3,081 MX$58.3K
50.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,073 $4,073
$7,529 MX$142.3K
-45.91%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Arlington, VA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,454 $6,454
$792 MX$15K
715.19%
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: October 28, 2025

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 28, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter – low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.