Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Arnhem and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,209 in Arnhem versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,392 in Arnhem versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,574 in Arnhem versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Arnhem is roughly 70% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arnhem is 65% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.82 €16.19

$11.73 MX$203

60.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 €61.1

$41.62 MX$720

70.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 €11.29

$10.64 MX$184

23.31%

Cappuccino

$4.23 €3.64

$3.52 MX$60.9

20.17%

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

$3.21 €2.76

$1.51 MX$26.12

112.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 €2.13

$0.97 MX$16.84

155.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.34 €5.46

$2.95 MX$51.0

114.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 €4.49

$4.45 MX$77.0

17.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.38 MX$23.93

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 €2.08

$1.89 MX$32.72

28.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

$1.64 MX$28.32

96.95%

Eggs

$4.77 €4.11

$2.51 MX$43.34

90.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 €11.99

$8.34 MX$144

67.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.09 €14.70

$8.34 MX$144

104.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.13 €14.74

$10.73 MX$186

59.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.05

$2.60 MX$45.04

-8.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 €2.14

$1.46 MX$25.20

70.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.90 MX$32.87

2.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 €3.56

$2.08 MX$35.91

99.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.78 MX$30.71

22.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 €1.86

$2.19 MX$37.80

-1.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.04 MX$17.99

19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.67

$1.08 MX$18.62

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €12.49

$4.08 MX$70.6

255.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.18 €6.17

$10.32 MX$178

-30.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.71 MX$29.61

-20.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.36

$2.58 MX$44.54

6.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.23 €3.63

$0.51 MX$8.81

729.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 €101

$26.46 MX$458

341.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 €3.32

$3.26 MX$56.4

18.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.26

$2.49 MX$43.09

5.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.68 €23.81

$3.25 MX$56.2

751.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.89

$1.31 MX$22.61

67.94%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

23.93%

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

$39.2K €33.7K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

67.35%

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

$265 €228

$82.9 MX$1,433

219.89%

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

$29.80 €25.63

$22.22 MX$384

34.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 €45.24

$29.34 MX$507

79.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.61 €36.66

$51.6 MX$893

-17.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.59 €6.53

$18.32 MX$317

-58.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 €12.90

$5.07 MX$87.6

195.66%

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

$1,866 €1,605

$201 MX$3,473

829.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,166 €5,304

$5,212 MX$90.1K

18.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.3 €81.2

$36.92 MX$639

155.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.69 €15.22

$39.79 MX$688

-55.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 €73.6

$78.5 MX$1,357

9.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 €76.3

$87.1 MX$1,506

1.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 €1,001

$973 MX$16.8K

19.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 €751

$468 MX$8,090

86.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 €1,780

$1,641 MX$28.4K

26.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 €1,425

$1,221 MX$21.1K

35.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,398 €4,643

$3,946 MX$68.3K

36.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,238 €3,645

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-34.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,834 €3,298

$664 MX$11.5K

477.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

11.42

-71.54%

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

Last update for Arnhem: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,163 in Arnhem and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arnhem pays 477% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Arnhem vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Arnhem and Playa del Carmen differ by about 70% in total monthly costs ($2,209 vs $1,297 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Arnhem pays 477% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,163 in Arnhem versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Arnhem. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $71.0 in Arnhem. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,209 in Arnhem, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Arnhem. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Arnhem and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Arnhem. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.