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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $638 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,009 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,379 in Aracaju.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 99% more expensive than Aracaju, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Aracaju 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.94 R$25.00

140.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$21.51 R$109

99.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.45 R$27.58

95.41%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.61 R$8.17

114.29%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.94 R$4.77

59.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.56 R$2.85

69.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.75 R$8.85

73.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.58 R$13.06

78.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.94 R$4.77

46.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.26 R$6.35

46.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.03 R$5.19

56.31%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.55 R$7.83

67.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.66 R$33.70

24.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.40 R$17.23

146.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.55 R$33.17

62.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.67 R$8.47

57.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.10 R$5.58

35.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.66 R$3.33

190.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.00 R$5.05

109.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.91 R$4.61

104.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.86 R$4.37

162.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.50 R$2.52

112.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.57 R$2.88

91.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.94 R$9.83

113.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.71 R$28.91

81.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.27 R$6.43

35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.91 R$9.65

36.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.83 R$4.21

-34.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$37.86 R$192

-28.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.09 R$5.51

187.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.12 R$5.69

124.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.06 R$30.67

-48.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.02 R$5.16

24.51%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$17.7K R$89.8K

71.21%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$26.8K R$135.6K

-12.03%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$66.7 R$337

24.53%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$13.78 R$69.7

64.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$15.61 R$79.0

88.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$18.82 R$95.3

170.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$24.03 R$122

-23.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.60 R$28.34

-11.96%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$166 R$843

18.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,806 R$24.3K

9.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$52.7 R$267

-29.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$29.88 R$151

33.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$68.7 R$348

16.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$78.6 R$398

13.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$181 R$918

427.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$119 R$602

301.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$596 R$3,016

176.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$214 R$1,085

471.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,232 R$6,239

217.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$858 R$4,343

652.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$437 R$2,210

52.79%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $181 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 53% 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 $250 vs $146 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 99% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $638 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 53% 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: $956 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 $197 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 $638 in Aracaju versus $1,271 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 99% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.