Last update: Nov 2026

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

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.

122

Cost of Living Index in Russellville, AR
Learn more

Russellville, AR Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Russellville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,562

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Russellville, AR costs about 113% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.29 $16.29

$10.67 MX$199

52.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.94 $36.94

$43.80 MX$815

-15.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 $9.92

$11.79 MX$219

-15.86%

Cappuccino

$4.91 $4.91

$3.79 MX$70.5

29.55%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$1.30 MX$24.14

76.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.83 MX$15.51

107.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.85 $4.85

$3.15 MX$58.6

53.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$4.93 MX$91.8

45.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.41 MX$26.22

-21.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.20 MX$40.86

-7.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$1.47 MX$27.40

278.23%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.50 MX$46.47

66.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$7.29 MX$136

107.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$7.95 MX$148

55.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.86 MX$239

15.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.90 MX$53.9

47.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.38 MX$25.74

4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.49 MX$46.36

44.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.03 MX$37.78

76.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.02 MX$37.69

33.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.90 MX$35.42

52.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.14 MX$21.30

29.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.24 MX$23.06

78.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.90 $8.90

$4.27 MX$79.5

108.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 $13.61

$9.81 MX$183

38.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.59 MX$29.51

20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.75 MX$51.1

74.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.51 MX$9.58

331.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

$27.39 MX$510

117.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$4.76 MX$88.6

-57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.25 MX$60.5

-62.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.20 $24.20

$5.39 MX$100

348.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.53 MX$28.44

-35.95%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

26.58%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

12.66%

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

$238 $238

$83.5 MX$1,554

184.66%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$23.19 MX$431

133.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 $62.7

$27.61 MX$514

127.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.65 $35.65

$56.4 MX$1,050

-36.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 $9.85

$5.00 MX$93.1

97.00%

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

$1,168 $1,168

$207 MX$3,854

464.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K $20.8K

$5,231 MX$97.4K

297.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.01 $42.01

$43.45 MX$809

-3.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.95 $29.95

$42.54 MX$792

-29.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$72.8 MX$1,354

57.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$88.4 MX$1,645

11.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 $722

$995 MX$18.5K

-27.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$382 MX$7,116

239.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 $1,038

$1,674 MX$31.2K

-38.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 $2,109

$1,081 MX$20.1K

95.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,553 $1,553

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-60.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,545 $1,545

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-74.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,658 $2,658

$832 MX$15.5K

219.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-47.60%

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

Last update for Russellville, AR: November 3, 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

Russellville, AR

$1.3K 50.6%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 70.5% $915

Groceries & Markets

Russellville, AR

$377 14.7%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 31.7% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Russellville, AR

$355 13.8%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 62.1% $220

Eating Out

Russellville, AR

$274 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 26.8% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Russellville, AR

$128 5%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 13.4% $17

Getting Around

Russellville, AR

$76 3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 34% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Russellville, AR

$55 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 20.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $722 in Russellville, AR 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.

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Russellville, AR

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

01:48 1:48 AM

1 h ahead of Russellville, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,014

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Russellville, AR
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

Russellville, AR vs Playa del Carmen: 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 $3,843 per month in Russellville, AR 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 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 $2,562 in Russellville, AR and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. 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.