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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $943 in Arouca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,638 in Arouca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,333 in Arouca.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 35% more expensive than Arouca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Arouca 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$10.41 TTD 70.4

14.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$87.8 TTD 593

-51.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.49 TTD 50.7

42.19%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$3.64 TTD 24.64

-5.22%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.09 TTD 7.37

37.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.77 TTD 5.18

23.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.82 TTD 12.31

66.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.08 TTD 20.84

49.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$2.63 TTD 17.80

-47.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$2.80 TTD 18.93

-33.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$2.70 TTD 18.28

-40.37%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$4.99 TTD 33.75

-48.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.74 TTD 52.4

6.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$10.34 TTD 69.9

-19.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$14.10 TTD 95.4

-24.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$5.92 TTD 40.00

-55.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.58 TTD 17.47

-42.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$4.29 TTD 29.00

-55.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$4.77 TTD 32.24

-56.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.43 TTD 9.67

30.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.66 TTD 11.23

36.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.90 TTD 12.83

-44.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$1.39 TTD 9.40

-21.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$5.90 TTD 39.87

-29.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$18.66 TTD 126

-44.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.20 TTD 14.90

-21.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.81 TTD 19.02

-7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.06 TTD 7.15

195.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$1.28 TTD 8.65

96.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$14.95 TTD 101

-78.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.13 TTD 7.66

12.39%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$34.1K TTD 230.2K

-10.81%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$37.9K TTD 256.5K

-37.90%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$80.6 TTD 545

3.03%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$47.29 TTD 320

-51.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$60.8 TTD 411

-51.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$10.15 TTD 68.6

-51.43%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$330 TTD 2,233

-40.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,290 TTD 49.3K

-27.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$58.5 TTD 396

-36.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$38.73 TTD 262

3.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$148 TTD 999

-45.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$128 TTD 862

-29.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Arouca: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $88.0 in Arouca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $943 including rent). Arouca is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,906 in Playa del Carmen and $1,414 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 $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $330 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $943 in Arouca versus $1,271 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 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.