Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monticello, AR and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,381 in Monticello, AR, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Monticello, AR
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Monticello, 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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Monticello, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,381

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,381 per month in Monticello, AR vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Monticello, AR $2,381
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,611 per month in Monticello, AR vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Monticello, AR $3,611
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,841 per month in Monticello, AR vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Monticello, AR $4,841
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Monticello, AR costs about 98% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Monticello, AR sits 75% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.32 $18.32

$10.92 MX$204

67.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$43.37 MX$808

75.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$11.78 MX$220

2.12%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$3.81 MX$71.0

49.87%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$1.28 MX$23.90

92.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.78 MX$14.59

164.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 $6.99

$3.17 MX$59.0

120.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.82 $7.82

$4.93 MX$92.0

58.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.41 MX$26.22

-36.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.22 MX$41.33

-48.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.42 MX$26.42

40.85%

Eggs

$3.84 $3.84

$2.52 MX$47.03

52.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$7.26 MX$135

21.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$7.70 MX$143

-13.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$12.69 MX$237

-31.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.78 MX$51.9

24.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.37 MX$25.50

-4.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.55 MX$47.55

10.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.12 MX$39.58

-0.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.94 MX$36.13

60.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.89 MX$35.16

22.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.15 MX$21.37

67.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.18 MX$21.98

79.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.28 $9.28

$4.30 MX$80.1

115.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 $13.11

$9.95 MX$185

31.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.58 MX$29.52

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.67 MX$49.79

-40.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.55 MX$10.31

314.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.8 $53.8

$26.62 MX$496

102.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$4.97 MX$92.6

-60.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$3.33 MX$62.1

-58.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 $20.10

$5.36 MX$99.8

275.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.44 MX$26.92

-29.86%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

37.30%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

17.63%

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

$189 $189

$84.8 MX$1,581

123.23%

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

$39.87 $39.87

$23.41 MX$436

70.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.51 $45.51

$28.66 MX$534

58.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.23 $39.23

$57.1 MX$1,063

-31.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$10.99 $10.99

$5.14 MX$95.8

113.81%

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

$1,184 $1,184

$207 MX$3,851

473.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K $25.2K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

540.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.94 $23.94

$43.35 MX$808

-44.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.95 $32.95

$41.44 MX$772

-20.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 $69.0

$74.2 MX$1,383

-7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 $153

$89.3 MX$1,664

71.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 $1,560

$980 MX$18.3K

59.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 $1,266

$381 MX$7,099

232.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,548 $2,548

$1,708 MX$31.8K

49.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 $2,362

$1,075 MX$20.0K

119.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,594 $2,594

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-34.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,401 $2,401

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-61.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

11.45

-42.36%

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

Last update for Monticello, 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

Monticello, AR

$1.3K 53.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 69.9% $885

Eating Out

Monticello, AR

$320 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 36.7% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monticello, AR

$275 11.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 50.2% $138

Groceries & Markets

Monticello, AR

$262 11%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 2.6% $6.9

Clothing & Footwear

Monticello, AR

$126 5.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 11.1% $14

Getting Around

Monticello, AR

$72 3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 29.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Monticello, AR

$61 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 10% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,560 in Monticello, AR versus $980 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Monticello, AR versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monticello, AR

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

Same time as Monticello, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,414

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Monticello, AR Playa del Carmen 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Monticello, 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

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

Yes – Monticello, AR is pricier by about 98%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,571 per month in Monticello, AR 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,560 in Monticello, AR.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Monticello, AR and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,381 in Monticello, AR and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 49% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Monticello, AR at $2,381. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monticello, AR 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.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 49% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.