Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Hot Springs, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,720 in Hot Springs, AR, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
83

Cost of Living Index in Hot Springs, AR
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Hot Springs, AR Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Hot Springs, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$1,720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Hot Springs, 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 Hot Springs, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,720 in Hot Springs, AR, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Hot Springs, AR $1,720

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,576 in Hot Springs, AR, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Hot Springs, AR $2,576

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,432 in Hot Springs, AR, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Hot Springs, AR $3,432

Playa del Carmen is about 30% cheaper than Hot Springs, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Hot Springs, AR is 26% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$16.83 $16.83

-35.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$69.6 $69.6

-37.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$9.35 $9.35

25.99%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$5.09 $5.09

-25.15%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$2.86 $2.86

-55.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$1.46 $1.46

-46.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$5.10 $5.10

-37.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$6.14 $6.14

-19.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$0.94 $0.94

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$3.05 $3.05

-27.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$1.98 $1.98

-28.28%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$2.27 $2.27

11.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$11.23 $11.23

-35.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$12.46 $12.46

-38.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$19.35 $19.35

-34.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$3.53 $3.53

-21.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.33 $1.33

3.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$3.60 $3.60

-29.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$3.78 $3.78

-43.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$1.80 $1.80

7.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$2.67 $2.67

-29.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$2.31 $2.31

-50.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$1.07 $1.07

10.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$9.03 $9.03

-52.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$18.83 $18.83

-47.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$2.51 $2.51

-37.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$4.48 $4.48

-40.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$1.17 $1.17

-52.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$28.06 $28.06

-5.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$2.82 $2.82

76.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$2.23 $2.23

49.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$0.86 $0.86

67.44%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$17.2K $17.2K

19.99%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$22.5K $22.5K

4.17%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$174 $174

-51.37%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$56.1 $56.1

-58.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$39.93 $39.93

-28.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$34.54 $34.54

65.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$9.86 $9.86

193.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$9.87 $9.87

-47.92%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$609 $609

-66.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$40.08 $40.08

8.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$40.48 $40.48

2.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$98.9 $98.9

-24.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$79.9 $79.9

11.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$717 $717

36.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$591 $591

-35.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,068 $1,068

59.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$897 $897

19.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$1,947 $1,947

102.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$2,001 $2,001

207.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$3,558 $3,558

-79.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.49

76.43%

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 Hot Springs, AR: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Hot Springs, AR

$591 34.4% 55.2% $210

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Hot Springs, AR

$362 21.1% 42.1% $107

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Hot Springs, AR

$279 16.2% 37.8% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Hot Springs, AR

$270 15.7% 97.6% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Hot Springs, AR

$117 6.8% 4.5% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Hot Springs, AR

$54 3.2% 19.4% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Hot Springs, AR

$47 2.7% 7.4% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $717 in Hot Springs, AR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Hot Springs, AR are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $70 in Hot Springs, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $362 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Hot Springs, AR

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

06:34 6:34 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

37,930

💱 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 = 20.97 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 →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Hot Springs, AR 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Hot Springs, 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 Hot Springs, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hot Springs, AR costs about 43% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,580 in Hot Springs, AR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hot Springs, AR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $717 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $609 in Hot Springs, AR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Hot Springs, AR, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Hot Springs, AR at $1,720. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hot Springs, AR 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,720 in Hot Springs, AR. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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