Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Russellville, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,562 in Russellville, AR, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Russellville, AR
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Russellville, AR Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Russellville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,562

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,562 in Russellville, AR, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Russellville, AR $2,562

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,615 in Russellville, AR, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Russellville, AR $3,615

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,668 in Russellville, AR, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Russellville, AR $4,668

Playa del Carmen is about 53% cheaper than Russellville, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Russellville, AR is 90% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$16.29 $16.29

-34.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$36.94 $36.94

18.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$9.92 $9.92

18.85%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$4.91 $4.91

-22.81%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$2.29 $2.29

-43.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$1.72 $1.72

-51.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$4.85 $4.85

-35.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$7.18 $7.18

-31.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.10 $1.10

28.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$2.04 $2.04

7.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$5.56 $5.56

-73.56%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$4.15 $4.15

-39.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$15.10 $15.10

-51.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$12.34 $12.34

-35.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$14.88 $14.88

-13.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$4.27 $4.27

-32.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.44 $1.44

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$3.59 $3.59

-30.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$3.58 $3.58

-43.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$2.70 $2.70

-25.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$2.90 $2.90

-34.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$1.48 $1.48

-22.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$2.21 $2.21

-43.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$8.90 $8.90

-52.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$13.61 $13.61

-27.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.91 $1.91

-16.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$4.80 $4.80

-42.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$2.20 $2.20

-76.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$59.5 $59.5

-53.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$2.04 $2.04

133.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$1.22 $1.22

166.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$24.20 $24.20

-77.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.98 $0.98

56.12%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

-21.00%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-11.24%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$238 $238

-64.87%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$54.2 $54.2

-57.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$62.7 $62.7

-55.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$35.65 $35.65

58.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$9.85 $9.85

-49.24%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$1,168 $1,168

-82.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$20.8K $20.8K

-74.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$42.01 $42.01

3.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$29.95 $29.95

42.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$115 $115

-36.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$98.8 $98.8

-10.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$722 $722

37.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$1,297 $1,297

-70.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$1,038 $1,038

61.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$2,109 $2,109

-48.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$1,553 $1,553

151.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$1,545 $1,545

297.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$2,658 $2,658

-68.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

90.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Russellville, AR: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Russellville, AR

$1.3K 50.6% 239% $915

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Russellville, AR

$377 14.7% 46.4% $119

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Russellville, AR

$274 10.7% 36.6% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Russellville, AR

$355 13.8% 164% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Russellville, AR

$128 5% 15.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Russellville, AR

$55 2.2% 16.7% $11

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Russellville, AR

$76 3% 51.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $722 in Russellville, 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 Russellville, AR are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $37 in Russellville, AR. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $377 in Russellville, AR – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Russellville, AR

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

26,014

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Russellville, AR 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Russellville, AR is pricier by about 113%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,843 in Russellville, AR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Russellville, AR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $722 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $2,562 in Russellville, AR. That makes Playa del Carmen about 53% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Russellville, AR at $2,562. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Russellville, 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 $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $2,562 in Russellville, 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, Russellville, AR makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.