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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $950 in Arzamas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,487 in Arzamas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,025 in Arzamas.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 34% more expensive than Arzamas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$9.77 ₽708

21.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$38.36 ₽2,780

11.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$5.59 ₽405

90.52%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.37 ₽172

45.57%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.11 ₽80.6

35.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.52 ₽37.83

82.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.43 ₽104

111.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.46 ₽179

87.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.15 ₽83.4

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.69 ₽50.4

168.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.36 ₽98.9

18.38%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.80 ₽131

43.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$10.75 ₽779

-23.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.94 ₽358

69.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.80 ₽638

21.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.75 ₽127

50.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.81 ₽131

-17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.98 ₽144

-3.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.67 ₽193

-21.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.80 ₽58.2

132.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.72 ₽52.3

213.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.35 ₽98.0

-21.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.71 ₽51.8

53.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$2.90 ₽210

43.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.77 ₽491

53.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.01 ₽72.9

70.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.96 ₽142

33.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.53 ₽38.30

1.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.89 ₽137

65.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.35 ₽25.49

617.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.28 ₽455

-49.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.77 ₽56.1

64.94%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$34.0K ₽2.5M

-10.68%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$35.9K ₽2.6M

-34.42%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$110 ₽7,979

-24.63%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$6.09 ₽441

272.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$8.03 ₽582

266.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$34.93 ₽2,531

46.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.22 ₽378

-5.56%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$330 ₽23.9K

-40.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$7,082 ₽513.1K

-25.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$70.4 ₽5,100

-47.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$45.14 ₽3,271

-11.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$115 ₽8,368

-30.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$107 ₽7,768

-16.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$451 ₽32.7K

112.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$309 ₽22.4K

54.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$764 ₽55.4K

115.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$500 ₽36.3K

144.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$2,217 ₽160.6K

76.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,864 ₽135.1K

246.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

15.33

-25.51%

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 Arzamas: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $451 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Arzamas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $196 per month, with Arzamas 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 Arzamas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Arzamas differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $950 including rent). Arzamas 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 $1,424 in Arzamas 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $451 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $950 in Arzamas – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $950 in Arzamas versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Arzamas but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Arzamas 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 Arzamas 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.