Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ar-rass Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ar-rass

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,103 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,669 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,235 in Ar-rass.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 15% more expensive than in Ar-rass, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Ar-rass 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$6.70 SAR 25.15

73.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$37.74 SAR 142

24.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.77 SAR 29.17

52.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 SAR 6.90

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 SAR 7.55

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$3.36 SAR 12.63

18.45%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.81 SAR 3.04

76.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.24 SAR 0.90

241.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.82 SAR 6.85

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$0.41 SAR 1.55

436.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.90 SAR 7.14

-10.00%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$3.68 SAR 13.82

-25.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.03 SAR 26.40

36.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$8.16 SAR 30.65

10.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$13.12 SAR 49.27

-2.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.09 SAR 7.83

38.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.77 SAR 6.66

-15.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.56 SAR 5.86

37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.61 SAR 6.05

40.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.15 SAR 4.32

72.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.35 SAR 5.05

47.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$1.15 SAR 4.32

6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.56 SAR 2.10

114.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.79 SAR 10.47

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SAR 6.83

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 SAR 6.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$7.90 SAR 29.67

-42.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$1.22 SAR 4.57

-50.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$35.86 SAR 135

-19.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$2.96 SAR 11.11

82.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.54 SAR 5.78

142.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$11.37 SAR 42.69

-49.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.64 SAR 2.40

140.63%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$47.0K SAR 176.6K

-52.05%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

22.54%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$88.2 SAR 331

3.57%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$24.45 SAR 91.8

3.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$60.2 SAR 226

-48.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$44.03 SAR 165

52.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$40.53 SAR 152

-28.18%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$13.08 SAR 49.14

-62.84%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$349 SAR 1,310

-35.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$7,401 SAR 27.8K

-42.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$50.6 SAR 190

-6.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$58.2 SAR 219

-23.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$95.0 SAR 357

-15.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$95.5 SAR 359

-2.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$580 SAR 2,177

83.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$339 SAR 1,273

15.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$382 SAR 1,433

463.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$591 SAR 2,220

115.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$2,677 SAR 10.1K

49.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,276 SAR 4,793

409.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,706 SAR 6,407

-55.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.47

109.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $580 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 125% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Ar-rass for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $199 per month, with Ar-rass 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

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

Playa del Carmen and Ar-rass differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,103 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 125% lower in Ar-rass. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $580 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $349 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,103 in Ar-rass versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ar-rass but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Ar-rass 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 Ar-rass gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.