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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $767 in Arouca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,304 in Arouca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,841 in Arouca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 65% more expensive than in Arouca, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Arouca 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$10.15 TTD 68.3

14.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$812

$58.5 TTD 394

-19.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$8.04 TTD 54.1

47.76%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.6

$3.75 TTD 25.24

6.13%

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

$1.43 MX$24.60

$1.00 TTD 6.75

43.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.22

$0.71 TTD 4.79

15.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$55.0

$1.79 TTD 12.04

78.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.61 TTD 17.53

160.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.89

$2.04 TTD 13.71

-17.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.32 TTD 15.60

-5.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.45

$2.93 TTD 19.73

-41.64%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.26

$3.88 TTD 26.10

-29.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$6.73 TTD 45.27

42.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$10.00 TTD 67.3

-9.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.73 TTD 58.8

46.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.81

$5.36 TTD 36.08

-46.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$2.48 TTD 16.68

-39.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.03

$3.72 TTD 25.04

-42.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.96

$4.16 TTD 28.01

-45.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.15

$0.75 TTD 5.06

164.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.30

$0.71 TTD 4.77

180.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.28

$1.45 TTD 9.73

-15.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.63

$1.20 TTD 8.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.5

$5.45 TTD 36.66

-16.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$17.93 TTD 121

-42.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.91

$1.55 TTD 10.45

4.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.67

$2.94 TTD 19.76

-2.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.9

$0.92 TTD 6.18

485.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

$0.85 TTD 5.71

338.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.5

$14.85 TTD 99.9

-61.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.48

$1.13 TTD 7.59

36.28%

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

$22.5K MX$388.8K

$37.4K TTD 251.4K

-39.65%

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

$26.1K MX$449.3K

$41.1K TTD 276.8K

-36.67%

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

$91.4 MX$1,576

$43.85 TTD 295

108.39%

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

$25.20 MX$435

$42.83 TTD 288

-41.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$539

$44.76 TTD 301

-30.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,159

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$8.76 TTD 58.9

-44.52%

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

$224 MX$3,856

$394 TTD 2,654

-43.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

$10.7K TTD 71.7K

-60.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$812

$53.6 TTD 360

-12.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$764

$36.24 TTD 244

22.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,381

$89.8 TTD 604

-10.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,598

$89.1 TTD 600

3.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.75

99.13%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Arouca: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $58.0 in Arouca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $318 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 65% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $767 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,151 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 $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $394 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 $58.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $767 in Arouca versus $1,266 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 65% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.