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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,011 in Arzamas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,597 in Arzamas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,182 in Arzamas.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 25% more expensive than in Arzamas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Arzamas 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$10.66 ₽901

8.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$31.71 ₽2,680

48.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$6.90 ₽583

72.17%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.42 ₽205

64.46%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.04 ₽87.6

37.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.56 ₽47.01

46.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$1.91 ₽162

67.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.14 ₽265

116.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.17 ₽98.7

43.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.75 ₽63.3

193.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.25 ₽105

36.80%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$1.37 ₽116

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$10.29 ₽869

-6.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.12 ₽433

75.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$10.12 ₽855

26.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.70 ₽144

70.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.59 ₽134

-5.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.65 ₽139

30.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.76 ₽234

-18.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.69 ₽58.0

186.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.61 ₽51.8

226.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.41 ₽119

-12.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.66 ₽55.9

81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$3.16 ₽267

43.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$7.78 ₽657

33.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.05 ₽89.1

54.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.05 ₽173

40.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$0.49 ₽41.66

22.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$2.40 ₽203

124.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.28 ₽23.97

1232.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$6.20 ₽524

-6.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$0.85 ₽72.1

81.18%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$30.0K ₽2.5M

-24.93%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$32.7K ₽2.8M

-20.38%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$114 ₽9,663

-20.09%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$6.21 ₽524

305.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$8.09 ₽684

286.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$38.88 ₽3,286

72.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

$22.50 ₽1,901

29.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$5.12 ₽432

-5.08%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$289 ₽24.4K

-22.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,150 ₽604.3K

-40.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$65.5 ₽5,535

-28.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$56.6 ₽4,784

-21.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$112 ₽9,450

-28.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$94.1 ₽7,948

-1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$298 ₽25.2K

256.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$317 ₽26.8K

23.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$481 ₽40.6K

347.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$568 ₽48.0K

124.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

$2,219 ₽187.5K

80.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

$1,399 ₽118.2K

364.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-45.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $298 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $32.00 in Arzamas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $197 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 25% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $1,011 including rent). Arzamas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,516 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $298 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,011 in Arzamas – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,011 in Arzamas versus $1,266 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 25% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.