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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $944 in Arouca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,639 in Arouca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,334 in Arouca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 36% more expensive than Arouca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Arouca 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$10.33 TTD 70.2

15.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$87.3 TTD 593

-51.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$7.51 TTD 51.0

41.01%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$3.81 TTD 25.85

-4.99%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.09 TTD 7.40

34.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.77 TTD 5.20

22.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.88 TTD 12.76

64.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.06 TTD 20.79

45.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.74 TTD 18.59

-47.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$2.68 TTD 18.19

-29.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$2.72 TTD 18.44

-40.07%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$4.97 TTD 33.73

-46.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.81 TTD 53.0

5.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$10.28 TTD 69.8

-19.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$14.33 TTD 97.3

-22.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$5.70 TTD 38.69

-53.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.61 TTD 17.70

-42.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$4.24 TTD 28.76

-53.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$4.61 TTD 31.29

-54.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$1.43 TTD 9.71

25.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.72 TTD 11.69

26.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.96 TTD 13.28

-44.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$1.40 TTD 9.53

-25.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$6.01 TTD 40.83

-33.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$19.29 TTD 131

-47.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.10 TTD 14.24

-17.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.82 TTD 19.15

-11.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.04 TTD 7.07

201.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.29 TTD 8.73

86.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$14.76 TTD 100

-79.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.14 TTD 7.71

11.40%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$33.5K TTD 227.5K

-7.81%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$38.3K TTD 260.3K

-39.19%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$81.2 TTD 551

1.05%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$46.48 TTD 316

-51.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$63.0 TTD 428

-52.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$10.22 TTD 69.4

-51.37%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$321 TTD 2,181

-38.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,238 TTD 49.1K

-27.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$58.5 TTD 397

-37.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$37.86 TTD 257

5.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$148 TTD 1,006

-46.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$128 TTD 871

-30.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.38

112.27%

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 Arouca: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $87.0 in Arouca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $374 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Arouca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Arouca differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $944 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,416 in Arouca to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $321 in Arouca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Arouca – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $944 in Arouca versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arouca but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Arouca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Arouca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.