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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $869 in Arapiraca, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,376 in Arapiraca, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,884 in Arapiraca, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 46% more than Arapiraca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Arapiraca are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Arapiraca 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$5.41 R$27.83

114.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$37.68 R$194

25.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$9.66 R$49.65

22.98%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.00 R$10.28

99.00%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.02 R$5.26

40.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.64 R$3.28

28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.59 R$8.18

100.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.14 R$16.13

116.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.40 R$7.21

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.57 R$8.08

40.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.55 R$7.96

10.32%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.79 R$9.22

53.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$7.05 R$36.23

35.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.50 R$23.12

100.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.55 R$38.84

69.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$1.34 R$6.88

115.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.35 R$6.94

11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$0.73 R$3.74

194.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.24 R$6.39

82.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.38 R$7.12

43.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.04 R$5.36

91.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.51 R$2.62

141.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.89 R$4.58

34.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$1.71 R$8.78

166.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.71 R$39.63

34.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.10 R$5.67

47.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.53 R$7.89

88.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$1.01 R$5.17

-40.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$45.44 R$234

-36.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.19 R$6.12

352.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.71 R$3.66

425.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$3.37 R$17.33

71.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.30 R$6.67

18.46%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$23.5K R$120.9K

-4.08%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$32.0K R$164.7K

-18.63%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$112 R$576

-18.36%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$12.98 R$66.7

94.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$17.34 R$89.2

80.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$25.39 R$131

164.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$24.34 R$125

19.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$6.94 R$35.70

-29.97%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$267 R$1,374

-16.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$11.7K R$60.0K

-63.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$43.53 R$224

8.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$49.48 R$254

-10.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$72.9 R$375

9.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$81.1 R$417

14.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$328 R$1,685

224.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$240 R$1,236

62.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$582 R$2,993

269.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$417 R$2,144

205.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,742 R$8,959

129.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,273 R$6,548

410.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.75

-2.55%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Arapiraca: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $328 in Arapiraca. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in Arapiraca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $176 – making Arapiraca 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 Arapiraca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $869 in Arapiraca – roughly 46% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,303 in Arapiraca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $267 in Arapiraca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% 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 Arapiraca, where all-in costs run around $869, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In Arapiraca 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 $869 in Arapiraca to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Arapiraca. 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.