Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Arzamas

For one person, living is cheaper in Arzamas: $1,142 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $720 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Arzamas
Learn more

Arzamas Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Arzamas

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Arzamas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Arzamas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,142 in Arzamas.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Arzamas $1,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,785 in Arzamas.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Arzamas $1,785

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,429 in Arzamas.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Arzamas $2,429

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 5% more expensive than in Arzamas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Arzamas 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$11.70 ₽959

-8.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$819

$39.60 ₽3,244

10.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$220

$5.97 ₽489

97.49%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.8

$2.83 ₽232

33.92%

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

$1.30 MX$24.26

$1.23 ₽100

5.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.59

$0.67 ₽54.8

23.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.9

$2.00 ₽164

57.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.3

$2.73 ₽223

80.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.35

$1.32 ₽108

6.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.07

$0.79 ₽64.5

178.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.54

$1.41 ₽115

4.26%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.70

$1.85 ₽152

35.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$12.63 ₽1,035

-42.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$5.91 ₽484

34.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$241

$12.82 ₽1,050

0.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.2

$1.97 ₽161

47.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.87

$1.94 ₽159

-28.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.59

$1.92 ₽157

29.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.97

$3.19 ₽261

-36.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.88

$0.85 ₽69.2

137.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.60

$0.61 ₽50.0

211.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.41

$1.22 ₽99.6

-6.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.17

$0.80 ₽65.7

55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.9

$3.12 ₽255

36.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$9.27 ₽760

5.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.66

$1.17 ₽96.1

35.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.3

$2.10 ₽172

30.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.63

$0.61 ₽49.95

-16.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$512

$30.35 ₽2,486

-9.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.1

$2.15 ₽176

121.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.8

$0.31 ₽25.28

948.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$6.47 ₽530

-16.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.58

$0.84 ₽68.9

82.14%

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

$21.2K MX$396.8K

$59.9K ₽4.9M

-64.58%

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

$23.3K MX$435.1K

$36.3K ₽3.0M

-35.89%

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

$83.5 MX$1,562

$144 ₽11.8K

-42.05%

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

$23.19 MX$434

$6.20 ₽508

274.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$516

$8.40 ₽688

228.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,056

$33.86 ₽2,774

66.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$527

$26.16 ₽2,143

7.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.5

$6.05 ₽496

-17.36%

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

$207 MX$3,873

$323 ₽26.4K

-35.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.8K

$6,246 ₽511.7K

-16.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$813

$103 ₽8,452

-57.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$796

$48.23 ₽3,951

-11.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,361

$145 ₽11.9K

-49.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,653

$113 ₽9,246

-21.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.6K

$308 ₽25.2K

222.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,152

$316 ₽25.9K

21.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.3K

$498 ₽40.8K

236.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.2K

$579 ₽47.4K

86.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.1K

$2,607 ₽213.6K

49.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.8K

$1,510 ₽123.7K

306.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

21.33

-46.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Arzamas: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Arzamas

$316 27.6% 17.4% $67

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Arzamas

$232 20.3% 9.9% $25

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Arzamas

$169 14.8% 15.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Arzamas

$159 13.9% 18.2% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Arzamas

$184 16.2% 65.8% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Arzamas

$46 4% 30.8% $20

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Arzamas

$36 3.2% 27.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $308 in Arzamas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $40 in Arzamas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $232 per month, with Arzamas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇷🇺 Arzamas

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

05:14 5:14 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

103,396

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

100 RUB = 1.22 USD

100 RUB = 1.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.9 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 81.92 RUB (100 RUB = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.55 RUB (100 RUB = 1.09 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Arzamas 10,380 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Arzamas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,142 in Arzamas, so Arzamas is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,804 in Playa del Carmen and $1,713 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $308 in Arzamas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,142 in Arzamas – Arzamas is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 10% less than in Arzamas. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Arzamas gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.