Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oranjestad and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,311 in Oranjestad, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Oranjestad
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Oranjestad Living Index
57

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

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Oranjestad

🇦🇼 Aruba

$2,311

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,311 in Oranjestad versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Oranjestad $2,311
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,184 in Oranjestad versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Oranjestad $4,184
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,058 in Oranjestad versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Oranjestad $6,058
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Oranjestad is roughly 92% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oranjestad is 71% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.12 AWG 39.59

$10.67 MX$200

107.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 AWG 142

$43.80 MX$819

80.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 AWG 18.67

$11.79 MX$220

-11.54%

Cappuccino

$4.43 AWG 7.93

$3.79 MX$70.8

16.89%

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

$1.46 AWG 2.62

$1.30 MX$24.26

12.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 AWG 2.85

$0.83 MX$15.59

91.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 AWG 5.40

$3.15 MX$58.9

-4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 AWG 7.12

$4.93 MX$92.3

-19.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.87 AWG 3.35

$1.41 MX$26.35

32.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.95 AWG 5.27

$2.20 MX$41.07

34.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 AWG 5.03

$1.47 MX$27.54

91.16%

Eggs

$5.21 AWG 9.33

$2.50 MX$46.70

108.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.51 AWG 22.40

$7.29 MX$136

71.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 AWG 16.76

$7.95 MX$149

17.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 AWG 21.85

$12.86 MX$241

-5.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 AWG 8.22

$2.90 MX$54.2

58.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 AWG 4.12

$1.38 MX$25.87

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.02 AWG 8.98

$2.49 MX$46.59

101.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.47 AWG 6.21

$2.03 MX$37.97

70.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 AWG 3.89

$2.02 MX$37.88

7.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 AWG 3.66

$1.90 MX$35.60

7.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 AWG 4.59

$1.14 MX$21.41

124.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 AWG 2.75

$1.24 MX$23.17

23.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 AWG 18.02

$4.27 MX$79.9

135.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 AWG 18.09

$9.81 MX$184

3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.07 AWG 7.29

$1.59 MX$29.66

155.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 AWG 7.79

$2.75 MX$51.3

58.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 AWG 4.00

$0.51 MX$9.63

339.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.50 AWG 52.8

$27.39 MX$512

7.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$17.04 AWG 30.49

$4.76 MX$89.1

257.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.97 AWG 7.10

$3.25 MX$60.8

22.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.04 AWG 44.81

$5.39 MX$101

364.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 AWG 3.51

$1.53 MX$28.58

28.10%

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

$25.6K AWG 45.8K

$21.2K MX$396.8K

20.61%

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

$34.8K AWG 62.2K

$23.3K MX$435.1K

49.46%

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

$254 AWG 455

$83.5 MX$1,562

204.61%

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

$48.18 AWG 86.2

$23.19 MX$434

107.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$104 AWG 185

$27.61 MX$516

275.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 AWG 113

$56.4 MX$1,056

11.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.68 AWG 45.96

$28.19 MX$527

-8.90%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 AWG 21.57

$5.00 MX$93.5

141.00%

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

$254 AWG 455

$207 MX$3,873

22.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,669 AWG 15.5K

$5,231 MX$97.8K

65.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 AWG 106

$43.45 MX$813

36.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 AWG 91.6

$42.54 MX$796

20.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 AWG 195

$72.8 MX$1,361

50.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 AWG 186

$88.4 MX$1,653

17.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 AWG 1,664

$995 MX$18.6K

-6.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$936 AWG 1,676

$382 MX$7,152

144.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 AWG 4,852

$1,674 MX$31.3K

61.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 AWG 5,515

$1,081 MX$20.2K

185.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,276 AWG 4,073

$3,909 MX$73.1K

-41.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,699 AWG 3,041

$6,138 MX$114.8K

-72.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 AWG 3,069

$832 MX$15.6K

106.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

11.45

-45.41%

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

Last update for Oranjestad: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oranjestad

$936 40.5%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 59.2% $554

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oranjestad

$406 17.6%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 66.9% $272

Groceries & Markets

Oranjestad

$364 15.8%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 29.3% $107

Eating Out

Oranjestad

$297 12.8%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 32.5% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Oranjestad

$146 6.3%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 23.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Oranjestad

$87 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 23.7% $21

Getting Around

Oranjestad

$75 3.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 33% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $930 in Oranjestad and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oranjestad pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $79 in Oranjestad vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇼 Oranjestad

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:28 10:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

1 h behind Oranjestad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,000 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to AWG – Aruban Florin Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇼 Aruban Florin (ƒ)

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to AWG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Oranjestad Playa del Carmen 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Oranjestad
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,311 in Oranjestad and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, so Playa del Carmen is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Oranjestad is about 2.1 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: $930 in Oranjestad versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 7% less than in Oranjestad. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $254 in Oranjestad versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,311 in Oranjestad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Oranjestad. 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, Oranjestad on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.