Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Smith, AR and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Fort Smith, AR
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Fort Smith, AR Living Index
58

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

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Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,951

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Fort Smith, AR $1,951
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,992 in Fort Smith, AR versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Fort Smith, AR $2,992
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,033 in Fort Smith, AR versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Fort Smith, AR $4,033
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Fort Smith, AR is roughly 62% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort Smith, AR is 43% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.20 $20.20

$10.92 MX$205

84.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 $64.6

$43.37 MX$815

49.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.43 $11.43

$11.78 MX$221

-2.97%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$3.81 MX$71.6

39.63%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$1.28 MX$24.10

86.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.78 MX$14.71

156.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.17 MX$59.5

88.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.04 $9.04

$4.93 MX$92.7

83.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.41 MX$26.43

-32.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.22 MX$41.66

46.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.42 MX$26.64

166.20%

Eggs

$2.89 $2.89

$2.52 MX$47.41

14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$7.26 MX$137

3.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 $10.76

$7.70 MX$145

39.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 $19.61

$12.69 MX$239

54.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.78 MX$52.3

71.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.37 MX$25.71

5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.55 MX$47.94

-2.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.12 MX$39.90

-0.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.94 MX$36.43

-2.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.89 MX$35.44

-16.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.15 MX$21.55

52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.18 MX$22.16

93.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.33 $8.33

$4.30 MX$80.7

93.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.89 $13.89

$9.95 MX$187

39.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.58 MX$29.76

15.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.67 MX$50.2

-1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.55 MX$10.40

121.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.44 $35.44

$26.62 MX$500

33.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$4.97 MX$93.4

-46.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 $1.29

$3.33 MX$62.6

-61.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.99 $29.99

$5.36 MX$101

459.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.44 MX$27.14

-47.22%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

25.62%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

9.02%

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

$276 $276

$84.8 MX$1,594

225.07%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$23.41 MX$440

196.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$28.66 MX$539

141.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.06 $27.06

$57.1 MX$1,072

-52.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.22 $16.22

$28.91 MX$543

-43.89%

Cinema Ticket

$13.52 $13.52

$5.14 MX$96.6

163.04%

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

$918 $918

$207 MX$3,882

344.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

498.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 $54.7

$43.35 MX$815

26.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.77 $41.77

$41.44 MX$779

0.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$74.2 MX$1,394

23.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 $77.6

$89.3 MX$1,677

-13.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 $683

$980 MX$18.4K

-30.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 $646

$381 MX$7,157

69.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-10.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 $1,295

$1,075 MX$20.2K

20.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,557 $1,557

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-60.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,561 $1,561

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-74.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,154 $3,154

$735 MX$13.8K

329.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

11.45

-44.28%

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

Last update for Fort Smith, AR: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Fort Smith, AR

$646 33.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 41% $265

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Smith, AR

$414 21.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 67% $277

Groceries & Markets

Fort Smith, AR

$342 17.6%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 25.6% $88

Eating Out

Fort Smith, AR

$325 16.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 37.8% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Smith, AR

$120 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 6.6% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 24.5% $13

Getting Around

Fort Smith, AR

$49 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 2.1% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $683 in Fort Smith, AR and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays about 4.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65 in Fort Smith, AR vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:24 11:24 PM

00:24 12:24 AM

1 h ahead of Fort Smith, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,142

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fort Smith, AR Playa del Carmen 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Smith, AR
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

Fort Smith, AR vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Fort Smith, AR. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Fort Smith, AR is about 4.3 times higher, 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: $683 in Fort Smith, AR versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,951 per month in Fort Smith, AR versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 25% less than in Fort Smith, AR. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fort Smith, AR. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Fort Smith, AR on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.