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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $776 in Aracatuba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,252 in Aracatuba, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,729 in Aracatuba, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 63% more than Aracatuba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Aracatuba are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Aracatuba 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$5.52 R$27.43

111.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$26.49 R$132

58.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.24 R$31.03

66.67%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.79 R$8.90

101.68%

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

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.13 R$5.63

30.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.63 R$3.11

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.84 R$9.17

64.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.69 R$13.35

66.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$0.99 R$4.91

39.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.51 R$7.51

21.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.17 R$5.82

37.61%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.97 R$9.78

30.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$8.00 R$39.78

6.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$3.71 R$18.45

128.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$7.45 R$37.03

47.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.13 R$10.60

28.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.25 R$6.20

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.20 R$5.96

63.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.46 R$7.27

45.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.14 R$5.68

63.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$1.11 R$5.49

95.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.71 R$3.52

50.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.67 R$3.32

56.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.18 R$10.85

92.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$8.81 R$43.81

16.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.21 R$6.04

38.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.01 R$9.98

23.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.94 R$4.66

-42.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$37.94 R$189

-30.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$1.05 R$5.21

195.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.71 R$3.53

246.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$6.31 R$31.37

-48.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.09 R$5.41

15.60%

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

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$21.0K R$104.2K

43.93%

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

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$28.0K R$139.0K

-16.19%

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

$84.0 MX$1,456

$61.3 R$304

37.13%

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

$22.21 MX$385

$13.73 R$68.2

61.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$19.18 R$95.4

54.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$22.14 R$110

137.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$21.58 R$107

-15.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$6.17 R$30.65

-19.77%

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

$198 MX$3,438

$274 R$1,363

-27.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$6,604 R$32.8K

-19.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$49.55 R$246

-27.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$41.48 R$206

-3.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$74.8 R$372

5.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$64.1 R$319

34.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$309 R$1,538

215.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$219 R$1,090

114.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$573 R$2,848

178.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$430 R$2,139

182.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,645 R$8,175

145.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,214 R$6,032

442.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$377 R$1,875

89.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Aracatuba: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $309 in Aracatuba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 89% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $26 in Aracatuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $177 – making Aracatuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Aracatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, $776 in Aracatuba – roughly 63% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,163 in Aracatuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aracatuba, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $274 in Aracatuba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Aracatuba, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Aracatuba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $776 in Aracatuba to $1,261 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Aracatuba. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.