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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,447 in Newport, AR versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,505 in Newport, AR versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Newport, AR versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Newport, AR is roughly 94% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Newport, AR is 83% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.04 $12.04

$11.67 MX$202

3.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$41.88 MX$726

40.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 $10.15

$10.40 MX$180

-2.40%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$3.61 MX$62.6

42.66%

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

$2.05 $2.05

$1.47 MX$25.45

39.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.91 MX$15.80

121.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.03 MX$52.6

94.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$4.47 MX$77.4

83.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.38 MX$23.83

-28.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.84 MX$31.93

-20.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.61 MX$27.82

28.57%

Eggs

$1.60 $1.60

$2.57 MX$44.52

-37.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 $8.25

$8.49 MX$147

-2.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$8.49 MX$147

5.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.67 $15.67

$10.99 MX$190

42.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$2.73 MX$47.25

103.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.50 MX$25.92

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.96 MX$33.93

43.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.12 MX$36.70

104.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.86 MX$32.30

11.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.17 MX$37.67

5.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.07 MX$18.59

65.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.05 MX$18.18

130.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.82 $7.82

$4.19 MX$72.6

86.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$10.28 MX$178

18.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.67 MX$28.87

4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.49 MX$43.12

-25.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.54 MX$9.37

274.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.10 MX$53.8

-34.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.46 MX$42.66

-43.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.72 $19.72

$3.24 MX$56.1

508.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.26 MX$21.83

-37.30%

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

$33.2K $33.2K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

10.22%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

16.14%

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

$214 $214

$84.0 MX$1,456

154.96%

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

$59.6 $59.6

$22.21 MX$385

168.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$29.65 MX$514

130.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.63 $42.63

$52.6 MX$912

-19.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 $13.07

$4.95 MX$85.7

164.04%

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

$1,583 $1,583

$198 MX$3,438

697.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.4K $27.4K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

414.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.35 $40.35

$35.95 MX$623

12.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.79 $32.79

$40.06 MX$694

-18.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.3 $73.3

$78.8 MX$1,365

-6.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$86.5 MX$1,499

62.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 $1,593

$977 MX$16.9K

63.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 $1,368

$471 MX$8,158

190.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 $2,609

$1,595 MX$27.6K

63.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,196 $2,196

$1,215 MX$21.1K

80.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,926 $2,926

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-27.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,200 $2,200

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-66.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

11.42

-42.82%

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

Last update for Newport, AR: April 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,593 in Newport, AR and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $59 in Newport, AR vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $252 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

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

Newport, AR and Playa del Carmen differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($2,447 vs $1,261 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,671 in Newport, AR and $1,891 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: $1,593 in Newport, AR versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,583 in Newport, AR versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $59.0 in Newport, AR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,447 in Newport, AR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Newport, 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Newport, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.