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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $660 in Ben Arous, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,058 in Ben Arous, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,456 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 4% lower, Ben Arous 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.41 TND 9.87

250.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$21.63 TND 62.5

97.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.14 TND 11.97

155.80%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$0.77 TND 2.24

370.13%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.65 TND 1.87

126.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.26 TND 0.74

261.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.48 TND 4.29

108.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.00 TND 5.77

123.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.49 TND 1.40

191.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.18 TND 0.51

944.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.63 TND 4.72

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.59 TND 4.59

66.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$11.17 TND 32.27

-26.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.10 TND 17.64

35.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$14.76 TND 42.66

-24.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.08 TND 6.01

27.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$2.96 TND 8.56

-49.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.13 TND 3.25

76.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.72 TND 2.08

188.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.75 TND 2.16

138.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.72 TND 2.08

202.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.43 TND 1.24

151.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.30 TND 0.86

246.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$3.53 TND 10.20

12.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.83 TND 22.62

30.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.14 TND 3.30

51.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.23 TND 3.56

103.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.42 TND 1.22

23.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$13.62 TND 39.37

98.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.32 TND 0.94

881.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.33 TND 0.96

627.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.30 TND 9.54

-6.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.83 TND 2.39

53.01%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$40.6K TND 117.2K

-23.85%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$34.4K TND 99.4K

-32.22%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$48.91 TND 141

67.68%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.89 TND 28.59

127.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$20.99 TND 60.7

41.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$32.32 TND 93.4

60.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$17.21 TND 49.74

8.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.93 TND 14.24

0.81%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$107 TND 308

85.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,513 TND 7,262

109.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$44.31 TND 128

-17.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$44.45 TND 128

-9.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$94.9 TND 274

-15.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$78.3 TND 226

13.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$185 TND 536

419.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$138 TND 398

237.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$378 TND 1,094

321.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$268 TND 774

351.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$942 TND 2,721

318.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$434 TND 1,255

1384.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$254 TND 733

184.18%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Ben Arous: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $185 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 184% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Ben Arous. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $197 – 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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, $660 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $990 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 $43.00 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $660 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 $660, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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 $660 in Ben Arous to $1,287 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.