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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $939 in Arouca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,605 in Arouca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,272 in Arouca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 34% more expensive than in Arouca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Arouca 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$10.55 TTD 70.8

11.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$87.5 TTD 588

-52.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.19 TTD 48.25

46.18%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$3.81 TTD 25.57

-5.77%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.05 TTD 7.08

43.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.82 TTD 5.54

12.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.83 TTD 12.26

61.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$3.01 TTD 20.23

46.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$2.66 TTD 17.83

-47.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$2.69 TTD 18.08

-30.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$2.70 TTD 18.10

-42.22%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$4.90 TTD 32.88

-46.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.01 TTD 53.8

3.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$10.29 TTD 69.1

-18.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$14.33 TTD 96.3

-24.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$5.93 TTD 39.85

-54.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$2.59 TTD 17.42

-41.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$4.33 TTD 29.11

-56.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$4.65 TTD 31.20

-52.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.43 TTD 9.64

30.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.65 TTD 11.10

35.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.88 TTD 12.61

-43.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.40 TTD 9.38

-22.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$5.77 TTD 38.76

-27.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$17.75 TTD 119

-41.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$2.20 TTD 14.78

-24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.83 TTD 18.99

-7.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.01 TTD 6.79

204.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$1.22 TTD 8.21

96.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$14.71 TTD 98.8

-78.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.14 TTD 7.67

14.91%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$33.5K TTD 224.9K

-10.99%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$39.0K TTD 262.0K

-40.22%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$78.6 TTD 528

3.45%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$47.37 TTD 318

-52.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$60.9 TTD 409

-50.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$9.89 TTD 66.4

-50.25%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$323 TTD 2,171

-37.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,351 TTD 49.4K

-29.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$59.4 TTD 399

-39.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$38.61 TTD 259

3.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$145 TTD 971

-44.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$126 TTD 844

-31.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Arouca: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $88.0 in Arouca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $372 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 34% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $939 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,890 in Playa del Carmen and $1,408 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 $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $323 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 $88.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $939 in Arouca versus $1,260 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 34% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.