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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,174 in Ar-rass.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,802 in Ar-rass.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,431 in Ar-rass.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Ar-rass, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Ar-rass 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.58 SAR 24.71

82.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$43.89 SAR 165

-4.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.93 SAR 29.79

35.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 SAR 6.64

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 SAR 6.58

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.69 SAR 13.87

-5.15%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.79 SAR 2.97

83.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.29 SAR 1.08

203.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.33 SAR 8.77

-38.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.06 SAR 3.97

73.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.51 SAR 5.69

3.97%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$3.62 SAR 13.58

-30.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.82 SAR 25.62

21.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.40 SAR 27.79

13.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.14 SAR 49.34

-18.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.18 SAR 8.19

19.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.64 SAR 6.17

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.72 SAR 6.47

13.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.56 SAR 5.84

33.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.23 SAR 4.61

50.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.27 SAR 4.76

70.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.24 SAR 4.66

-16.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.55 SAR 2.07

94.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.40 SAR 9.03

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 SAR 6.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.23 SAR 23.40

-34.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.06 SAR 3.98

-51.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$39.89 SAR 150

-34.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$2.65 SAR 9.94

21.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.86 SAR 6.98

29.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$13.19 SAR 49.52

-75.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.58 SAR 2.18

127.59%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$26.4K SAR 99.3K

12.28%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$22.2K SAR 83.4K

6.54%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$107 SAR 403

-23.66%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$33.12 SAR 124

-30.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$72.8 SAR 273

-58.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$45.13 SAR 169

15.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$35.22 SAR 132

-47.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$15.83 SAR 59.4

-68.54%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$355 SAR 1,334

-44.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$6,847 SAR 25.7K

-22.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$21.29 SAR 79.9

67.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$60.0 SAR 225

-32.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$79.2 SAR 297

-0.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$83.0 SAR 312

7.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$437 SAR 1,641

116.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$386 SAR 1,450

22.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$384 SAR 1,442

328.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$615 SAR 2,308

96.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,551 SAR 9,579

58.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,264 SAR 4,746

411.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$1,700 SAR 6,383

-61.53%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ar-rass: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $437 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 7% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $1,174 including rent). Ar-rass is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 160% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $437 in Ar-rass. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $355 in Ar-rass. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,174 in Ar-rass versus $1,256 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.