Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ben Arous Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ben Arous

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $693 in Ben Arous, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,336 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,087 in Ben Arous, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,341 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,481 in Ben Arous, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 92% more than Ben Arous, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Ben Arous are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Ben Arous 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$4.06 TND 11.69

220.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$20.63 TND 59.5

124.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$5.04 TND 14.53

149.80%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$0.84 TND 2.41

376.19%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.68 TND 1.97

108.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.25 TND 0.71

224.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.58 TND 4.54

93.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$1.99 TND 5.75

242.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$0.48 TND 1.38

256.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$0.24 TND 0.69

825.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.72 TND 4.96

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$1.60 TND 4.62

69.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$10.56 TND 30.45

-11.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$6.03 TND 17.40

46.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$16.15 TND 46.56

-20.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$1.51 TND 4.35

107.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$2.39 TND 6.88

-35.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$1.01 TND 2.92

112.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$0.74 TND 2.15

217.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$0.83 TND 2.39

143.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$0.80 TND 2.31

148.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.49 TND 1.41

153.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.30 TND 0.86

296.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$3.62 TND 10.43

28.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$6.89 TND 19.86

51.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.16 TND 3.34

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$1.25 TND 3.61

133.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.40 TND 1.14

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$13.87 TND 39.99

114.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$0.32 TND 0.92

1562.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.35 TND 1.01

962.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$3.43 TND 9.88

68.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$0.85 TND 2.44

82.35%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$39.9K TND 115.0K

-43.90%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$37.6K TND 108.3K

-31.91%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$55.7 TND 161

60.17%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$9.75 TND 28.11

138.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$20.91 TND 60.3

51.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$33.01 TND 95.2

108.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$16.88 TND 48.68

74.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$4.97 TND 14.33

1.81%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$107 TND 310

106.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$2,521 TND 7,268

70.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$51.9 TND 150

-11.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$44.90 TND 129

-1.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$104 TND 299

-7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$66.3 TND 191

39.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$214 TND 618

399.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$162 TND 468

142.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$382 TND 1,100

421.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$272 TND 784

379.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$938 TND 2,705

330.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$427 TND 1,231

1451.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$253 TND 730

195.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

10.5

10.48%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Ben Arous: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $214 in Ben Arous. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 195% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $21.00 in Ben Arous. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $192 – making Ben Arous the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Ben Arous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, $693 in Ben Arous – roughly 92% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,995 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,040 in Ben Arous. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ben Arous, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen and $21.00 in Ben Arous. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,330 in Playa del Carmen and $693 in Ben Arous. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ben Arous, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,330. In Ben Arous it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $693 in Ben Arous to $1,330 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ben Arous. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.