Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Fort Smith, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Fort Smith, AR
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Fort Smith, AR Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Fort Smith, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Fort Smith, AR

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 Fort Smith, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Fort Smith, AR $1,951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,992 in Fort Smith, AR.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Fort Smith, AR $2,992

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,033 in Fort Smith, AR.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Fort Smith, AR $4,033

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 38% less than in Fort Smith, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Fort Smith, AR is 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$20.20 $20.20

-45.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$64.6 $64.6

-32.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$11.43 $11.43

3.06%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$5.32 $5.32

-28.38%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$2.39 $2.39

-46.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$2.00 $2.00

-61.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$5.96 $5.96

-46.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$9.04 $9.04

-45.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$0.95 $0.95

48.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$3.26 $3.26

-31.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$3.78 $3.78

-62.43%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.89 $2.89

-12.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$7.55 $7.55

-3.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$10.76 $10.76

-28.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$19.61 $19.61

-35.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$4.77 $4.77

-41.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.45 $1.45

-5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$2.48 $2.48

2.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$2.11 $2.11

0.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$1.90 $1.90

2.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$1.58 $1.58

19.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$1.75 $1.75

-34.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$2.28 $2.28

-48.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$8.33 $8.33

-48.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$13.89 $13.89

-28.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.82 $1.82

-13.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$2.64 $2.64

1.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$1.22 $1.22

-54.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$35.44 $35.44

-24.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$2.68 $2.68

85.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$1.29 $1.29

158.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$29.99 $29.99

-82.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$0.76 $0.76

89.47%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$26.0K $26.0K

-20.39%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$25.6K $25.6K

-8.28%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$276 $276

-69.24%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$69.5 $69.5

-66.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$69.1 $69.1

-58.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$27.06 $27.06

110.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$16.22 $16.22

78.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$13.52 $13.52

-61.98%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$918 $918

-77.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$23.5K $23.5K

-83.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$54.7 $54.7

-20.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$41.77 $41.77

-0.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$91.8 $91.8

-19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$77.6 $77.6

15.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$683 $683

43.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$646 $646

-41.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,536 $1,536

11.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,295 $1,295

-17.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,557 $1,557

153.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$1,561 $1,561

294.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$3,154 $3,154

-76.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.38

79.47%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Fort Smith, AR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Fort Smith, AR

$646 33.1% 69.6% $265

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Fort Smith, AR

$342 17.6% 34.4% $88

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Fort Smith, AR

$325 16.7% 60.7% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Fort Smith, AR

$414 21.2% 203% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Fort Smith, AR

$120 6.1% 7.1% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Fort Smith, AR

$54 2.8% 19.7% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Fort Smith, AR

$49 2.5% 2% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Smith, AR pays about 4.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $65 in Fort Smith, AR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $342 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Fort Smith, AR

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

01:08 1:08 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

89,142

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Fort Smith, AR 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Fort Smith, AR

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 Fort Smith, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Fort Smith, AR. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 77% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $683 in Fort Smith, AR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR – Playa del Carmen is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 25% less than in Fort Smith, AR. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,951 in Fort Smith, AR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fort Smith, AR. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Fort Smith, AR on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.