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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $982 in Arzamas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,501 in Arzamas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,021 in Arzamas.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 31% more expensive than Arzamas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Arzamas 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$9.38 ₽705

27.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$37.81 ₽2,840

13.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.79 ₽435

82.90%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.30 ₽173

57.39%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.08 ₽80.9

36.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.48 ₽36.03

95.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.43 ₽107

116.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.49 ₽187

79.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.10 ₽82.4

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.70 ₽52.3

168.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.37 ₽103

18.98%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.71 ₽129

54.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$11.03 ₽828

-25.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.72 ₽355

75.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$9.02 ₽677

23.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.82 ₽136

45.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.86 ₽140

-19.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.91 ₽144

4.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$2.80 ₽210

-25.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.86 ₽64.5

108.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.66 ₽49.66

230.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$1.42 ₽106

-23.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.66 ₽49.35

57.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.89 ₽217

37.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.59 ₽495

54.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$0.95 ₽71.5

82.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.95 ₽146

28.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.49 ₽36.83

6.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.85 ₽139

69.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.35 ₽26.56

585.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.52 ₽490

-52.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.76 ₽57.2

67.11%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$34.5K ₽2.6M

-10.60%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$35.2K ₽2.6M

-33.68%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$108 ₽8,077

-23.74%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$5.83 ₽438

285.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$7.60 ₽571

290.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$35.09 ₽2,636

47.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.19 ₽390

-4.24%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$322 ₽24.2K

-38.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$7,020 ₽527.3K

-24.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$69.3 ₽5,208

-47.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$43.57 ₽3,273

-8.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$113 ₽8,485

-29.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$106 ₽7,971

-16.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$451 ₽33.9K

113.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$303 ₽22.7K

53.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$774 ₽58.1K

106.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$506 ₽38.0K

139.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,156 ₽162.0K

82.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,336 ₽100.4K

382.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 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 $251 vs $195 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 31% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $982 including rent). Arzamas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $1,472 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: $963 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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $982 in Arzamas – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $982 in Arzamas versus $1,287 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 31% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.