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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $691 in Ariana, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,066 in Ariana, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,440 in Ariana, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 84% 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 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$4.05 TND 11.82

193.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$17.11 TND 49.93

150.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.05 TND 14.74

110.89%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$0.74 TND 2.17

366.22%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.64 TND 1.87

134.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.23 TND 0.67

313.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.53 TND 4.47

98.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$1.98 TND 5.79

132.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.51 TND 1.48

170.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.20 TND 0.59

825.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.53 TND 4.47

5.23%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.55 TND 4.53

67.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.41 TND 30.38

-20.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.19 TND 18.06

35.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$13.65 TND 39.83

-21.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.01 TND 5.87

30.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.97 TND 8.67

-49.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.14 TND 3.31

68.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.75 TND 2.18

178.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.74 TND 2.17

151.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.72 TND 2.11

213.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.52 TND 1.53

103.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.29 TND 0.83

275.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.62 TND 10.56

14.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.50 TND 21.88

38.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.28 TND 3.74

34.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.58 TND 4.61

65.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.36 TND 1.04

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$10.33 TND 30.15

160.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.30 TND 0.87

943.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.33 TND 0.97

660.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$4.28 TND 12.49

-26.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.84 TND 2.44

51.19%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$37.8K TND 110.2K

-19.62%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$34.2K TND 99.9K

-31.16%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$59.2 TND 173

40.30%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.61 TND 28.05

136.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$20.90 TND 61.0

40.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$31.69 TND 92.5

60.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$16.84 TND 49.13

8.85%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.67 TND 13.62

5.57%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$112 TND 326

76.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,361 TND 9,806

57.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$45.02 TND 131

-18.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$59.6 TND 174

-33.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$96.8 TND 282

-17.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$68.3 TND 199

31.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$241 TND 702

297.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$157 TND 458

204.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$449 TND 1,311

266.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$299 TND 871

309.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,160 TND 3,383

237.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$751 TND 2,190

760.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$342 TND 997

95.12%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Ariana: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $241 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 95% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $17.00 in Ariana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $193 – 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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, $691 in Ariana – roughly 84% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,037 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 30% 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 $43.00 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 $691, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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 $691 in Ariana to $1,271 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.