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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $829 in Araras, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,292 in Araras, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,755 in Araras, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 53% more than Araras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Araras are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Araras 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$2.64 R$13.39

349.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$26.99 R$137

58.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.79 R$29.32

83.94%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.98 R$10.01

74.24%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.20 R$6.07

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.93 R$4.71

2.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.05 R$10.39

47.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.63 R$13.29

75.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.05 R$5.32

31.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.53 R$7.72

20.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.40 R$7.09

15.00%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.95 R$14.93

-12.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.69 R$64.2

-34.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.07 R$20.60

105.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$9.01 R$45.61

18.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.63 R$8.26

61.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.25 R$6.35

19.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.57 R$2.88

236.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.74 R$8.79

20.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.26 R$6.39

47.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.29 R$6.51

75.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.05 R$5.29

0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.25 R$6.31

-12.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.13 R$10.79

94.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.71 R$39.05

34.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.43 R$7.25

20.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.09 R$10.57

24.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.80 R$4.04

-32.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$38.60 R$195

-30.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.25 R$6.32

150.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.06 R$5.37

136.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.44 R$32.60

-51.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.83 R$4.19

53.01%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$20.9K R$105.9K

45.22%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$28.9K R$146.1K

-18.36%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$88.6 R$448

-6.28%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$11.73 R$59.4

93.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$16.19 R$82.0

81.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$53.1 R$269

-3.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$18.17 R$92.0

0.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.30 R$26.85

-6.98%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$287 R$1,451

-31.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,863 R$39.8K

-32.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$46.39 R$235

-20.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$39.75 R$201

0.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$80.8 R$409

-1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$41.34 R$209

116.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$235 R$1,190

306.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$216 R$1,091

121.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$578 R$2,926

184.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$437 R$2,214

180.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,522 R$7,703

157.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,126 R$5,700

473.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

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 Araras: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $235 in Araras. 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $27.00 in Araras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $208 – making Araras 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 Araras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 53% more than Araras, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,243 in Araras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 43% less in Araras. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $287 in Araras. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Araras, where all-in costs run around $829, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Araras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Araras costs $829 versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Araras. 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.