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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $562 in Arusha, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $905 in Arusha, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,374 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,248 in Arusha, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 130% more than Arusha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Arusha are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Arusha 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$199

$3.46 TZS 9,091

238.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$791

$28.10 TZS 73.9K

65.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$198

$9.12 TZS 24.0K

27.74%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.5

$1.78 TZS 4,680

129.78%

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

$1.37 MX$23.34

$0.90 TZS 2,377

52.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.16

$0.30 TZS 800

176.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.9

$1.04 TZS 2,734

222.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$2.79 TZS 7,348

147.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.33

$0.97 TZS 2,552

78.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.39

$0.65 TZS 1,706

247.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.05

$1.65 TZS 4,347

7.27%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.41

$1.67 TZS 4,387

63.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$156

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$214

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.3

$2.22 TZS 5,832

36.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.68

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.10

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.46

$0.72 TZS 1,900

213.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.04

$0.49 TZS 1,276

308.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.06

$1.07 TZS 2,810

92.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$20.04

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.45

$0.85 TZS 2,242

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.7

$1.55 TZS 4,077

198.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$182

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.50

$0.93 TZS 2,442

74.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.93

$1.00 TZS 2,619

188.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.74

$0.18 TZS 481

216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.5

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$102

$7.63 TZS 20.1K

-21.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.38

$1.29 TZS 3,387

20.16%

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

$22.3K MX$379.2K

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

$25.9K MX$440.7K

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

$89.1 MX$1,514

$28.92 TZS 76.0K

208.20%

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

$25.04 MX$425

$8.68 TZS 22.8K

188.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$535

$48.20 TZS 126.7K

-34.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,151

$64.7 TZS 170.1K

4.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.8

$4.67 TZS 12.3K

8.14%

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

$225 MX$3,820

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.7K

$7,465 TZS 19.6M

-43.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$806

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$764

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,392

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,564

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.2K

$288 TZS 757.7K

271.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,884

$232 TZS 609.7K

74.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.9K

$489 TZS 1.3M

296.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.1K

$515 TZS 1.4M

152.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Arusha: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $288 in Arusha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $28.00 in Arusha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $65.0 – making Arusha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Arusha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, $562 in Arusha – roughly 130% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,940 per month in Playa del Carmen and $842 in Arusha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $28.00 in Arusha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen and $562 in Arusha. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arusha, where all-in costs run around $562, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Arusha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $562 in Arusha to $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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