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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $837 in Araras, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,312 in Araras, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,786 in Araras, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 54% more than Araras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Araras are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Araras 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$2.65 R$13.24

350.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$27.38 R$137

56.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.87 R$29.29

80.41%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.09 R$10.42

73.21%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.25 R$6.24

17.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.88 R$4.41

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.08 R$10.38

48.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.72 R$13.58

63.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.05 R$5.26

36.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.54 R$7.70

22.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.39 R$6.96

17.27%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.92 R$14.58

-9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$12.58 R$62.8

-34.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.19 R$20.92

97.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.77 R$43.76

26.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.66 R$8.29

59.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.21 R$6.02

23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.61 R$3.06

226.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.75 R$8.72

18.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.30 R$6.50

37.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.29 R$6.43

68.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.10 R$5.48

-1.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.26 R$6.30

-17.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.13 R$10.63

86.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.80 R$38.93

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.37 R$6.82

26.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.05 R$10.21

21.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.83 R$4.16

-37.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$38.54 R$192

-30.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.22 R$6.10

157.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.05 R$5.26

128.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.47 R$32.29

-52.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.83 R$4.12

53.01%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$20.6K R$102.7K

50.03%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$29.0K R$144.6K

-19.57%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$87.3 R$436

-6.08%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$11.77 R$58.7

90.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$16.04 R$80.1

84.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$55.0 R$274

-5.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$17.81 R$88.9

4.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.48 R$27.34

-9.31%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$279 R$1,390

-28.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$8,075 R$40.3K

-34.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$46.76 R$233

-22.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$40.36 R$201

-0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$80.4 R$401

-0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$41.31 R$206

115.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$230 R$1,150

318.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$215 R$1,071

116.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$576 R$2,874

177.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$437 R$2,179

176.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,632 R$8,144

141.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,177 R$5,873

447.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Araras: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $230 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: $251 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 54% 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,256 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 $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $279 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 $837, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $837 versus $1,287 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.