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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,019 in Arrest versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,169 in Arrest versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,318 in Arrest versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Arrest is roughly 55% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arrest is 46% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 €16.19

$11.96 MX$203

57.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 €70.8

$47.38 MX$804

73.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.65 €11.76

$11.75 MX$199

16.17%

Cappuccino

$5.10 €4.39

$4.12 MX$70.0

23.79%

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

$4.77 €4.11

$1.40 MX$23.74

240.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 €2.53

$0.91 MX$15.48

223.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 €6.86

$3.21 MX$54.4

147.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 €5.86

$7.07 MX$120

-3.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.68 MX$28.44

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 €2.21

$2.15 MX$36.48

19.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.77 MX$30.10

62.71%

Eggs

$4.61 €3.98

$2.82 MX$47.76

63.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$23.75 €20.47

$9.20 MX$156

158.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.91 €12.86

$9.23 MX$157

61.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.63 €19.50

$12.64 MX$214

79.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 €3.04

$2.95 MX$50.1

19.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.58 MX$26.79

44.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 €2.67

$2.22 MX$37.70

39.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 €3.65

$2.36 MX$40.09

79.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 €1.73

$1.99 MX$33.81

0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.69 €2.32

$1.98 MX$33.58

35.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 €1.64

$1.24 MX$21.04

54.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.82

$1.21 MX$20.55

-21.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 €12.91

$4.60 MX$78.1

225.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.09 €7.83

$10.52 MX$178

-13.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 €2.42

$1.69 MX$28.70

66.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 €3.33

$2.77 MX$47.06

39.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.60 MX$10.22

225.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.77 €42.90

$29.70 MX$504

67.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.05 €7.80

$5.24 MX$88.8

72.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 €1.33

$3.65 MX$61.9

-57.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.43 €41.75

$5.78 MX$98.1

737.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.89

$1.54 MX$26.09

42.86%

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

$35.9K €30.9K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

57.43%

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

$37.0K €31.9K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

43.34%

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

$273 €235

$90.7 MX$1,538

201.17%

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

$17.64 €15.21

$25.19 MX$427

-29.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.22 €26.05

$31.75 MX$539

-4.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 €31.79

$68.8 MX$1,167

-46.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 €13.05

$4.86 MX$82.5

211.52%

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

$1,877 €1,618

$226 MX$3,828

731.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,042

$4,194 MX$71.1K

150.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €100

$47.38 MX$804

145.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €43.76

$43.45 MX$737

16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €104

$80.2 MX$1,361

50.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 €141

$91.4 MX$1,550

78.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$794 €684

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-26.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 €552

$409 MX$6,933

56.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 €1,259

$1,972 MX$33.5K

-25.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 €999

$1,281 MX$21.7K

-9.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,164 €3,589

$4,046 MX$68.6K

2.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,219 €2,774

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-51.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

11.45

-71.44%

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

Last update for Arrest: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $794 in Arrest and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Arrest vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $420 vs $278 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,028 in Arrest and $1,958 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $794 in Arrest versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,877 in Arrest versus $226 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Arrest. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,019 in Arrest, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Arrest. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Arrest, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Arrest 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 55% less than in Arrest. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.