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 $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $796 in Arapiraca, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,260 in Arapiraca, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,724 in Arapiraca, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 58% more than Arapiraca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Arapiraca are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Arapiraca 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$210

$4.97 R$25.39

141.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$733

$27.61 R$141

51.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$189

$6.99 R$35.74

53.79%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$61.3

$1.85 R$9.46

89.19%

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

$1.45 MX$25.41

$0.81 R$4.13

79.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.52

$0.49 R$2.51

79.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.7

$1.48 R$7.55

99.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$79.1

$2.90 R$14.82

55.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.12

$1.19 R$6.07

20.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$32.23

$1.40 R$7.14

31.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.51

$1.27 R$6.51

23.62%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$44.06

$2.37 R$12.13

5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$145

$6.89 R$35.21

20.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$148

$3.68 R$18.79

129.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$187

$7.00 R$35.76

52.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.76

$2.14 R$10.93

21.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.24 R$6.33

16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.41

$1.12 R$5.73

75.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.74

$1.59 R$8.14

31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.47

$1.32 R$6.77

40.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$38.02

$1.04 R$5.34

108.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$18.09

$0.51 R$2.60

101.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.84

$0.70 R$3.58

52.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$72.0

$1.66 R$8.50

146.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$178

$7.59 R$38.81

33.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.38

$1.20 R$6.14

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$44.31

$1.61 R$8.23

57.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.93

$0.88 R$4.52

-42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

$37.76 R$193

-31.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$1.14 R$5.81

183.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.19

$0.64 R$3.25

276.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.6

$3.51 R$17.93

-7.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.17

$1.08 R$5.53

22.22%

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

$29.7K MX$520.9K

$16.3K R$83.4K

81.93%

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

$23.7K MX$415.0K

$22.1K R$112.7K

7.29%

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

$82.0 MX$1,439

$72.4 R$370

13.34%

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

$22.95 MX$403

$16.31 R$83.4

40.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$528

$16.87 R$86.2

78.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$912

$22.08 R$113

135.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

$21.73 R$111

-14.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$87.3

$6.44 R$32.93

-22.67%

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

$197 MX$3,463

$260 R$1,329

-24.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.6K

$6,600 R$33.7K

-19.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$624

$42.31 R$216

-15.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$707

$50.2 R$257

-19.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,381

$83.9 R$429

-6.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,560

$77.5 R$396

14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.6K

$314 R$1,604

201.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,314

$215 R$1,100

120.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.8K

$581 R$2,967

183.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.2K

$428 R$2,186

183.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

$1,837 R$9,390

120.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

$1,302 R$6,652

397.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-23.87%

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 Arapiraca: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $314 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Arapiraca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $172 – 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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, $796 in Arapiraca – roughly 58% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,194 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 $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $260 in Arapiraca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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 $796, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. 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 $796 in Arapiraca to $1,256 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.