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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $693 in Ariana, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,078 in Ariana, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,463 in Ariana, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 82% more than Ariana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ariana are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Ariana 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.96 TND 11.63

195.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$17.14 TND 50.3

144.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$4.87 TND 14.28

115.81%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$0.76 TND 2.24

372.37%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.63 TND 1.85

139.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.25 TND 0.73

268.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.48 TND 4.35

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.97 TND 5.78

123.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.51 TND 1.49

174.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.20 TND 0.58

840.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.51 TND 4.42

3.31%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.55 TND 4.55

68.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.49 TND 30.77

-20.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.09 TND 17.87

37.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.74 TND 40.31

-20.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.10 TND 6.16

29.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.98 TND 8.75

-49.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.12 TND 3.30

66.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$0.71 TND 2.07

208.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.81 TND 2.37

129.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.73 TND 2.13

205.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.49 TND 1.43

118.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.29 TND 0.84

275.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.54 TND 10.39

18.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.83 TND 20.03

52.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.33 TND 3.91

24.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.64 TND 4.81

59.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.33 TND 0.97

63.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$10.01 TND 29.36

161.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.32 TND 0.95

862.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.33 TND 0.98

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$4.18 TND 12.28

-25.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.84 TND 2.48

55.95%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$36.9K TND 108.2K

-19.14%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$34.4K TND 100.8K

-32.13%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$59.0 TND 173

37.88%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$10.09 TND 29.60

123.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$20.70 TND 60.7

45.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$32.28 TND 94.7

63.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$16.67 TND 48.92

10.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.66 TND 13.68

5.58%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$111 TND 324

81.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,244 TND 9,519

59.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$45.62 TND 134

-21.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$59.3 TND 174

-32.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$94.7 TND 278

-15.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$68.9 TND 202

25.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$248 TND 728

294.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$158 TND 464

197.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$452 TND 1,327

265.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$291 TND 853

314.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$1,121 TND 3,291

252.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$741 TND 2,173

792.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$335 TND 984

101.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.15

-13.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ariana: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $248 in Ariana. 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 102% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.00 in Ariana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $192 – making Ariana 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 Ariana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, $693 in Ariana – roughly 82% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,039 in Ariana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 31% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $17.00 in Ariana. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ariana, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Ariana 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 $693 in Ariana to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ariana. 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.