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 $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $662 in Ben Arous, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,189 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,051 in Ben Arous, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,441 in Ben Arous, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 95% 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 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$3.35 TND 9.84

250.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$21.66 TND 63.6

92.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$4.30 TND 12.62

142.09%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$0.75 TND 2.21

381.33%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$0.61 TND 1.78

139.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.28 TND 0.83

246.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$1.53 TND 4.50

90.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$1.97 TND 5.77

134.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$0.52 TND 1.53

175.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$0.20 TND 0.58

850.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$1.61 TND 4.72

-2.48%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$1.63 TND 4.78

61.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$11.23 TND 32.98

-24.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$6.12 TND 17.95

40.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$14.94 TND 43.85

-26.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$2.11 TND 6.20

27.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$3.06 TND 9.00

-50.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$1.13 TND 3.33

69.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$0.70 TND 2.06

210.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$0.80 TND 2.34

133.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$0.76 TND 2.23

193.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$0.43 TND 1.25

151.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.32 TND 0.95

234.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$3.54 TND 10.40

17.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

$7.76 TND 22.79

32.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$1.09 TND 3.20

54.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$1.25 TND 3.66

102.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$0.39 TND 1.15

41.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

$13.33 TND 39.12

97.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$0.32 TND 0.94

900.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$0.31 TND 0.90

693.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$3.44 TND 10.11

-6.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$0.87 TND 2.56

51.72%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$40.2K TND 117.9K

-24.94%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$34.9K TND 102.6K

-33.06%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$49.85 TND 146

63.19%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$9.67 TND 28.38

131.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$21.17 TND 62.1

41.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$32.23 TND 94.6

59.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$16.81 TND 49.35

9.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$5.19 TND 15.23

-0.58%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$109 TND 320

84.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$2,485 TND 7,294

113.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$44.81 TND 132

-20.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$44.18 TND 130

-8.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$97.5 TND 286

-19.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$80.8 TND 237

7.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$187 TND 547

409.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$136 TND 399

251.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$380 TND 1,116

326.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$273 TND 802

347.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

$937 TND 2,751

327.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

$431 TND 1,265

1401.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

$254 TND 747

164.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.96

4.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Ben Arous: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $187 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 164% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Ben Arous. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $254 vs $199 – 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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, $662 in Ben Arous – roughly 95% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,941 per month in Playa del Carmen and $993 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $22.00 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 $1,294 in Playa del Carmen and $662 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 $662, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,294. 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 $662 in Ben Arous to $1,294 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.