Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alpharetta, GA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index
59

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

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Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Alpharetta, GA $3,015
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Alpharetta, GA $4,418
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Alpharetta, GA $5,822
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Alpharetta, GA is roughly 149% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alpharetta, GA is 123% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.92 $25.92

$10.76 MX$199

140.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$43.03 MX$795

88.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$11.79 MX$218

-16.71%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.87 MX$71.4

25.84%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$1.37 MX$25.29

83.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.84 MX$15.44

151.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.10 MX$57.3

86.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$5.07 MX$93.6

45.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.44 MX$26.55

-35.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.23 MX$41.23

90.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$1.47 MX$27.17

289.80%

Eggs

$4.58 $4.58

$2.53 MX$46.71

81.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$7.30 MX$135

56.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 $8.73

$7.86 MX$145

11.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 $20.39

$12.79 MX$236

59.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.90 MX$53.6

58.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.44 MX$26.53

48.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.55 MX$47.07

65.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.06 MX$38.03

114.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.00 MX$36.97

82.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.01 MX$37.07

84.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.19 MX$22.02

100.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.26 MX$23.23

119.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$4.40 MX$81.4

103.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.59 MX$177

54.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.59 MX$29.41

8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.81 MX$51.9

39.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.57 MX$10.47

415.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 $94.2

$27.82 MX$514

238.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.98 MX$92.1

-38.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 $2.37

$3.50 MX$64.6

-32.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 $40.78

$5.40 MX$99.8

655.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.47 MX$27.08

-38.78%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

54.66%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

9.93%

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

$252 $252

$84.2 MX$1,556

199.20%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$23.99 MX$443

123.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.4 $87.4

$29.02 MX$536

201.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 $34.02

$63.0 MX$1,164

-45.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 $22.25

$29.14 MX$539

-23.64%

Cinema Ticket

$16.81 $16.81

$4.94 MX$91.3

240.28%

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

$1,298 $1,298

$204 MX$3,763

537.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

307.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 $77.0

$43.60 MX$806

76.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 $44.98

$43.12 MX$797

4.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$75.8 MX$1,400

68.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$88.6 MX$1,637

56.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 $2,105

$1,008 MX$18.6K

108.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 $1,488

$374 MX$6,911

297.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,000 $3,000

$1,708 MX$31.6K

75.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 $2,491

$1,106 MX$20.4K

125.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,659 $7,659

$3,944 MX$72.9K

94.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 $5,366

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-13.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,390 $6,390

$754 MX$13.9K

747.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

11.45

-40.26%

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

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 74.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 37.6% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 65.1% $256

Eating Out

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 43.4% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 35.4% $62

Getting Around

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 56.5% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 7.7% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 747% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

15:12 3:12 PM

1 h behind Alpharetta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,799

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Alpharetta, GA Playa del Carmen 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Alpharetta, GA
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

Alpharetta, GA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 149% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 747% higher in Alpharetta, GA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 238% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Alpharetta, GA. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Alpharetta, GA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.