Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Arica

For one person, living is cheaper in Arica: $109 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Arica

🇨🇱 Chile

$109

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Arica

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Arica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $109 in Arica, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Arica $109

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $176 in Arica, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Arica $176

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $243 in Arica, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Arica $243

Playa del Carmen costs about 1003% more than Arica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Arica are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Arica 92% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$1.19 CLP 1,184

-34.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.02 CLP 1,014

38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$0.73 CLP 723

-24.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

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

$23.41 MX$439

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

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

$207 MX$3,878

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$40.51 CLP 40.2K

7.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$19.92 CLP 19.8K

108.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$53.3 CLP 53.0K

39.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$89.2 CLP 88.6K

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$503 CLP 499.8K

45.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arica: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Arica

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Arica

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Arica

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Arica

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Arica

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Arica

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Arica

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 46% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇱 Arica

🕒 Local time

15:21 3:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

2 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

202,131

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Arica 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Arica

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Arica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $109 in Arica – Arica comes out roughly 91% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $164 in Arica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $109 in Arica. That makes Arica about 91% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 2395% more in Playa del Carmen, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Arica, where all-in costs run around $109, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Arica 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 $109 in Arica to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Arica. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.