Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,582 in Arlington, VA, rent and utilities included – about $28,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

173

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, VA
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Arlington, VA Living Index
59

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

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Arlington, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,582

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,582 per month in Arlington, VA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Arlington, VA $3,582
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $5,415 per month in Arlington, VA vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Arlington, VA $5,415
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $7,249 per month in Arlington, VA vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Arlington, VA $7,249
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Arlington, VA costs about 197% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Arlington, VA sits 164% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.99 $23.99

$10.86 MX$201

120.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$44.21 MX$817

127.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 $10.93

$11.76 MX$217

-7.06%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$3.68 MX$68.0

57.07%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$1.34 MX$24.79

122.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.82 MX$15.24

196.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$3.06 MX$56.6

166.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 $8.81

$4.94 MX$91.2

78.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.47 MX$27.17

-14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.22 MX$40.95

97.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$1.48 MX$27.32

252.03%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$2.49 MX$45.99

103.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.53 $21.53

$7.52 MX$139

186.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$7.96 MX$147

97.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.56 $22.56

$12.57 MX$232

79.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$2.78 MX$51.3

100.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.43 MX$26.37

31.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.62 MX$48.37

74.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$2.14 MX$39.49

168.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.02 MX$37.38

61.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.99 MX$36.74

88.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.14 MX$21.01

98.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.20 MX$22.18

103.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.73 $9.73

$4.26 MX$78.7

128.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.20 $17.20

$10.02 MX$185

71.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.54 MX$28.41

83.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.66 MX$49.17

6.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 $2.74

$0.53 MX$9.73

416.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$121 $121

$27.51 MX$508

339.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.90 MX$90.6

-19.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$3.43 MX$63.5

-64.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.92 $24.92

$5.38 MX$99.4

363.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.45 MX$26.76

-27.59%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

37.85%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

11.55%

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

$162 $162

$85.4 MX$1,577

89.46%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$23.46 MX$434

119.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.7 $61.7

$28.43 MX$525

116.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 $71.4

$62.2 MX$1,149

14.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 $19.14

$28.68 MX$530

-33.26%

Cinema Ticket

$16.58 $16.58

$5.10 MX$94.3

225.10%

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

$1,572 $1,572

$201 MX$3,715

681.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.5K $35.5K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

800.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 $55.3

$44.39 MX$820

24.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 $62.2

$41.35 MX$764

50.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$72.7 MX$1,344

42.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$89.6 MX$1,656

81.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,452 $2,452

$979 MX$18.1K

150.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 $2,010

$373 MX$6,887

439.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,832 $4,832

$1,681 MX$31.1K

187.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,600 $3,600

$1,095 MX$20.2K

228.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,750 $5,750

$3,949 MX$73.0K

45.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,742 $4,742

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-22.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,973 $6,973

$738 MX$13.6K

845.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.45

-40.70%

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

Last update for Arlington, VA: October 18, 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

Arlington, VA

$2K 56.1%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 81.5% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, VA

$504 14.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 48.8% $246

Eating Out

Arlington, VA

$374 10.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 46.5% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, VA

$275 7.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 50.1% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, VA

$173 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 35.3% $61

Getting Around

Arlington, VA

$142 4%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 63.5% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, VA

$105 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 30.8% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,452 in Arlington, VA 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 846% higher in Arlington, VA, 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 $101 in Arlington, VA versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $504 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, VA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

1 h behind Arlington, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Arlington, VA Playa del Carmen 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, VA
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

Arlington, VA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, VA costs about 197% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,373 per month in Arlington, VA 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 95% more in Arlington, VA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Arlington, VA and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Arlington, VA at $3,582. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arlington, VA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $3,582 in Arlington, VA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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