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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $954 in Arzamas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,466 in Arzamas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,978 in Arzamas.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 32% more expensive than in Arzamas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Arzamas 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$9.35 ₽745

25.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$37.43 ₽2,979

11.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.73 ₽456

83.42%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.25 ₽179

59.56%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.12 ₽88.8

34.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.51 ₽40.67

80.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$1.40 ₽112

111.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.49 ₽198

77.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.12 ₽88.8

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.65 ₽52.1

189.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.37 ₽109

13.87%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$1.70 ₽135

53.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$10.80 ₽859

-22.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.92 ₽391

69.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.71 ₽693

24.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.72 ₽137

57.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.88 ₽150

-19.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.98 ₽157

-5.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$2.71 ₽215

-19.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.83 ₽66.2

124.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$0.66 ₽52.9

237.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.40 ₽112

-23.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.72 ₽57.3

51.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$2.85 ₽227

47.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$6.46 ₽514

61.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.01 ₽80.0

64.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.88 ₽150

38.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.53 ₽42.05

1.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.91 ₽152

61.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.33 ₽26.23

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$6.51 ₽518

-51.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$0.77 ₽61.3

70.13%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$33.9K ₽2.7M

-12.02%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$35.4K ₽2.8M

-34.04%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$107 ₽8,553

-24.36%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$5.82 ₽463

287.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$7.94 ₽632

278.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$35.86 ₽2,854

47.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.11 ₽407

-3.72%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$325 ₽25.9K

-38.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$7,044 ₽560.7K

-26.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$70.2 ₽5,587

-48.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$45.06 ₽3,586

-10.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$114 ₽9,058

-29.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$106 ₽8,408

-18.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$448 ₽35.6K

118.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$300 ₽23.9K

56.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$758 ₽60.3K

117.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$501 ₽39.9K

140.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,008 ₽159.8K

96.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,434 ₽114.1K

360.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $448 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Arzamas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $194 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,260 vs $954 including rent). Arzamas 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 $1,431 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $448 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $954 in Arzamas – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $954 in Arzamas versus $1,260 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 32% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.