Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Aracaju Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Aracaju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $640 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,001 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,362 in Aracaju.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 101% more expensive than Aracaju, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Aracaju 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$4.92 R$24.57

142.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$21.87 R$109

95.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.55 R$27.68

90.81%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.61 R$8.02

124.84%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.02 R$5.07

44.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.60 R$3.00

56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.82 R$9.08

69.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.62 R$13.08

70.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.93 R$4.65

53.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.25 R$6.25

50.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.04 R$5.17

56.73%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.57 R$7.85

68.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$6.83 R$34.09

20.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.39 R$16.89

144.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$6.42 R$32.02

72.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.63 R$8.14

62.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.14 R$5.67

31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.61 R$3.02

226.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.92 R$4.60

126.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.88 R$4.38

103.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.82 R$4.08

165.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.49 R$2.47

120.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.62 R$3.09

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.04 R$10.16

94.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.03 R$30.09

69.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.28 R$6.36

35.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.84 R$9.18

35.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.80 R$3.99

-35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$38.84 R$194

-30.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.03 R$5.15

204.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.14 R$5.69

110.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.18 R$30.84

-50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.08 R$5.39

17.59%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$18.0K R$89.8K

71.60%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$26.3K R$131.2K

-11.33%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$66.5 R$332

23.34%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$13.88 R$69.2

61.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$15.34 R$76.6

93.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$18.76 R$93.6

176.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$23.92 R$119

-21.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.90 R$29.43

-15.76%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$166 R$827

19.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,806 R$24.0K

9.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$51.6 R$257

-29.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$30.07 R$150

33.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$68.4 R$341

16.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$78.5 R$392

13.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$181 R$901

433.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$118 R$589

293.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$610 R$3,045

161.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$215 R$1,072

462.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,298 R$6,475

203.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$903 R$4,506

614.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$460 R$2,297

56.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.35

10.34%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $181 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 56% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $147 per month, with Aracaju 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 Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Aracaju differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $640 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 56% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $181 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $166 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $640 in Aracaju versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju 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 Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.