Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Arlington, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,582 in Arlington, VA, rent and utilities included – about $28,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
173

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, VA
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Arlington, VA Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Arlington, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,582

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Arlington, VA

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 Arlington, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,582 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Arlington, VA $3,582

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,415 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Arlington, VA $5,415

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $7,249 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Arlington, VA $7,249

Playa del Carmen is about 66% cheaper than Arlington, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Arlington, VA is 164% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$23.99 $23.99

-54.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$101 $101

-56.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$10.93 $10.93

7.59%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$5.78 $5.78

-36.33%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$2.98 $2.98

-55.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$2.43 $2.43

-66.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$8.14 $8.14

-62.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$8.81 $8.81

-43.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.25 $1.25

17.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$4.39 $4.39

-49.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$5.21 $5.21

-71.59%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$5.07 $5.07

-50.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$21.53 $21.53

-65.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$15.69 $15.69

-49.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$22.56 $22.56

-44.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$5.57 $5.57

-50.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.88 $1.88

-23.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$4.56 $4.56

-42.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$5.75 $5.75

-62.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$3.26 $3.26

-38.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$3.75 $3.75

-46.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.26 $2.26

-49.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$2.44 $2.44

-50.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$9.73 $9.73

-56.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$17.20 $17.20

-41.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$2.83 $2.83

-45.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.83 $2.83

-6.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$2.74 $2.74

-80.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$121 $121

-77.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$3.93 $3.93

24.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.21 $1.21

183.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$24.92 $24.92

-78.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.05 $1.05

38.10%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$29.2K $29.2K

-27.46%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

-10.36%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$162 $162

-47.22%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$51.5 $51.5

-54.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$61.7 $61.7

-53.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$71.4 $71.4

-12.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$19.14 $19.14

49.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$16.58 $16.58

-69.24%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$1,572 $1,572

-87.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$35.5K $35.5K

-88.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$55.3 $55.3

-19.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$62.2 $62.2

-33.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$104 $104

-29.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$163 $163

-44.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$2,452 $2,452

-60.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$2,010 $2,010

-81.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$4,832 $4,832

-65.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$3,600 $3,600

-69.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$5,750 $5,750

-31.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$4,742 $4,742

29.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$6,973 $6,973

-89.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.79

68.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Arlington, VA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Arlington, VA

$2K 56.1% 439% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Arlington, VA

$504 14.1% 95.1% $246

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Arlington, VA

$374 10.4% 86.8% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Arlington, VA

$275 7.7% 100% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Arlington, VA

$173 4.8% 54.7% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Arlington, VA

$105 2.9% 44.4% $32

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Arlington, VA

$142 4% 174% $90

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,452 in Arlington, VA. 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 846% higher in Arlington, VA, 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $101 in Arlington, VA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $504 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Arlington, VA

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

07:40 7:40 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

365,438

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Arlington, VA 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Arlington, VA

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 Arlington, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, VA costs about 197% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $5,373 in Arlington, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 95% more in Arlington, VA, 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen and $101 in Arlington, VA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Arlington, VA at $3,582. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Arlington, VA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $3,582 in Arlington, VA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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