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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,169 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,770 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,372 in Ar-rass.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 11% more expensive than Ar-rass, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Ar-rass 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.55 SAR 24.58

79.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$44.10 SAR 166

-5.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.87 SAR 29.52

35.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 SAR 6.38

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 SAR 6.87

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$3.62 SAR 13.57

-2.76%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.76 SAR 2.84

98.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.29 SAR 1.08

234.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.39 SAR 8.97

-42.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.01 SAR 3.79

87.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.55 SAR 5.82

5.81%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.61 SAR 13.56

-30.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.77 SAR 25.40

23.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.45 SAR 27.96

11.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.04 SAR 48.93

-17.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.23 SAR 8.38

16.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.64 SAR 6.16

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.75 SAR 6.56

8.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.56 SAR 5.87

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.28 SAR 4.81

39.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.31 SAR 4.92

67.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.19 SAR 4.46

-12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.59 SAR 2.20

83.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 SAR 6.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 SAR 7.82

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$6.29 SAR 23.61

-35.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.09 SAR 4.08

-53.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$39.20 SAR 147

-32.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$2.61 SAR 9.78

24.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.92 SAR 7.22

29.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$13.48 SAR 50.6

-75.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.59 SAR 2.21

122.03%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$27.0K SAR 101.4K

12.04%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$22.6K SAR 84.8K

3.70%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$104 SAR 390

-20.33%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$33.90 SAR 127

-34.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$72.7 SAR 273

-59.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$43.87 SAR 165

17.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$35.18 SAR 132

-47.92%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$15.52 SAR 58.3

-67.33%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$349 SAR 1,310

-42.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,909 SAR 25.9K

-24.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$21.12 SAR 79.3

74.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$61.3 SAR 230

-35.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$79.5 SAR 298

-1.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$82.4 SAR 309

5.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$445 SAR 1,669

118.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$382 SAR 1,434

22.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$388 SAR 1,455

323.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$614 SAR 2,303

98.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$2,559 SAR 9,604

54.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,508 SAR 5,658

331.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,728 SAR 6,485

-61.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.42

158.37%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $445 in Ar-rass. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ar-rass pays 160% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Ar-rass. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $205, with Ar-rass cheaper for home cooking.

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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $1,169 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ar-rass earns 160% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $445 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 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 21% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,169 in Ar-rass versus $1,297 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 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.