Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Arthur, TX and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,641 in Port Arthur, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Port Arthur, TX
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Port Arthur, TX Living Index
57

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

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Port Arthur, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,641

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Port Arthur, TX and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Port Arthur, TX and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,641 per month in Port Arthur, TX vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port Arthur, TX $2,641
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $3,828 per month in Port Arthur, TX vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port Arthur, TX $3,828
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,016 per month in Port Arthur, TX vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Port Arthur, TX $5,016
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Port Arthur, TX costs about 120% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Port Arthur, TX sits 95% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.08 $19.08

$10.67 MX$200

78.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$43.80 MX$819

70.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 $10.94

$11.79 MX$220

-7.21%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$3.79 MX$70.8

37.47%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$1.30 MX$24.26

97.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.83 MX$15.59

143.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.15 MX$58.9

86.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 $7.11

$4.93 MX$92.3

44.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.41 MX$26.35

-25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.20 MX$41.07

56.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.47 MX$27.54

192.52%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$2.50 MX$46.70

67.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$7.29 MX$136

68.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.44 $11.44

$7.95 MX$149

43.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 $15.28

$12.86 MX$241

18.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.90 MX$54.2

66.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.38 MX$25.87

18.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.49 MX$46.59

72.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.03 MX$37.97

128.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.02 MX$37.88

41.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.90 MX$35.60

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.14 MX$21.41

78.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.24 MX$23.17

70.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.37 $9.37

$4.27 MX$79.9

119.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.91 $13.91

$9.81 MX$184

41.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.59 MX$29.66

16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.75 MX$51.3

25.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.51 MX$9.63

301.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.8 $58.8

$27.39 MX$512

114.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$4.76 MX$89.1

-28.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.25 MX$60.8

-51.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.77 $28.77

$5.39 MX$101

433.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.53 MX$28.58

-44.44%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$21.2K MX$396.8K

38.47%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$23.3K MX$435.1K

8.03%

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

$189 $189

$83.5 MX$1,562

126.84%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$23.19 MX$434

125.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 $68.6

$27.61 MX$516

148.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.23 $42.23

$56.4 MX$1,056

-25.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$527

Cinema Ticket

$13.43 $13.43

$5.00 MX$93.5

168.60%

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

$1,273 $1,273

$207 MX$3,873

514.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$5,231 MX$97.8K

350.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 $50.6

$43.45 MX$813

16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.98 $39.98

$42.54 MX$796

-6.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$72.8 MX$1,361

17.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$88.4 MX$1,653

24.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 $1,628

$995 MX$18.6K

63.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 $1,359

$382 MX$7,152

255.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,633 $2,633

$1,674 MX$31.3K

57.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 $2,186

$1,081 MX$20.2K

102.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,825 $2,825

$3,909 MX$73.1K

-27.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,430 $2,430

$6,138 MX$114.8K

-60.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.45

-43.14%

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

Last update for Port Arthur, TX: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Arthur, TX

$1.4K 51.5%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 71.9% $977

Groceries & Markets

Port Arthur, TX

$385 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 33.1% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Arthur, TX

$310 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 56.7% $176

Eating Out

Port Arthur, TX

$310 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 35.4% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Port Arthur, TX

$129 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 13.6% $18

Getting Around

Port Arthur, TX

$78 3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 35.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Port Arthur, TX

$69 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 3.8% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Port Arthur, TX versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Port Arthur, TX versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Port Arthur, TX

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:21 6:21 AM

07:21 7:21 AM

1 h ahead of Port Arthur, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,135

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Port Arthur, TX Playa del Carmen 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Arthur, TX
Playa del Carmen

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

Port Arthur, TX vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Arthur, TX is pricier by about 120%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,961 per month in Port Arthur, TX and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,628 in Port Arthur, TX.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,641 in Port Arthur, TX and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 54% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 53% 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 Port Arthur, TX at $2,641. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Arthur, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 54% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.