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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,390 per month in Arta vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,074 per month in Arta vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,757 per month in Arta vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Arta costs about 8% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Arta sits 4% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.68 €9.97

$11.94 MX$208

-2.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 €39.43

$42.75 MX$744

8.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.25 €8.76

$10.59 MX$184

-3.21%

Cappuccino

$4.22 €3.60

$3.62 MX$63.0

16.57%

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

$2.46 €2.10

$1.47 MX$25.54

67.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.51

$0.94 MX$16.41

-36.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 €4.77

$3.09 MX$53.8

80.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 €4.87

$4.46 MX$77.6

27.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.05

$1.43 MX$24.80

-13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.88 MX$32.79

-39.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 €0.76

$1.63 MX$28.34

-45.40%

Eggs

$3.45 €2.94

$2.64 MX$45.99

30.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.35

$8.21 MX$143

61.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.08 €9.46

$8.29 MX$144

33.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.74 €10.03

$11.10 MX$193

5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 €0.88

$2.65 MX$46.14

-61.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.50 MX$26.11

-14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.99 MX$34.59

-35.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.91

$2.08 MX$36.13

-49.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.79 MX$31.11

-27.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.02

$2.18 MX$37.87

-45.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 €0.72

$1.08 MX$18.73

-21.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.17 €0.15

$1.04 MX$18.04

-83.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.17 €4.42

$3.97 MX$69.1

30.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.79 €4.09

$10.20 MX$178

-53.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 €0.83

$1.73 MX$30.04

-43.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.00

$2.50 MX$43.46

-6.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.59 €1.36

$0.52 MX$9.02

205.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.97 €40.11

$26.97 MX$469

74.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 €4.07

$3.14 MX$54.7

51.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 €0.96

$2.40 MX$41.80

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.42 €11.46

$3.09 MX$53.7

334.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.76

$1.27 MX$22.16

62.20%

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

$30.7K €26.2K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

-0.59%

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

$31.2K €26.7K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

33.93%

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

$218 €186

$82.0 MX$1,427

165.22%

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

$25.93 €22.14

$22.45 MX$391

15.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.50 €21.78

$29.66 MX$516

-14.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.70 €40.73

$51.9 MX$903

-8.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 €22.46

$18.67 MX$325

40.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.96 €8.50

$4.97 MX$86.5

100.40%

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

$432 €369

$198 MX$3,442

118.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,324 €7,108

$5,273 MX$91.7K

57.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.4 €72.1

$36.34 MX$632

132.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 €25.07

$40.05 MX$697

-26.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 €69.6

$79.9 MX$1,390

1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 €78.4

$88.9 MX$1,547

3.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$499 €426

$963 MX$16.8K

-48.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 €330

$465 MX$8,086

-16.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$760 €649

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-52.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$624 €533

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-48.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,931 €2,503

$3,942 MX$68.6K

-25.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,631 €2,247

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-59.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$954 €815

$720 MX$12.5K

32.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

11.42

-59.02%

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

Last update for Arta: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $499 in Arta versus $963 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 32% higher in Arta, 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 $46.00 in Arta versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $226 in Arta vs $251 in Playa del Carmen – so Arta wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Yes – Arta is pricier by about 8%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,085 per month in Arta and $1,930 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.

Kindergarten costs $432 per month in Arta and $198 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Arta – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,287, than in Arta at $1,390. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arta it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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