Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,142 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
Learn more

Ames, IA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Ames, IA $2,142
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Ames, IA $3,242
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Ames, IA $4,342
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 77% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ames, IA is 59% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$10.76 MX$199

68.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$43.03 MX$795

20.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.79 MX$218

3.31%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.87 MX$71.4

25.84%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.37 MX$25.29

89.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.84 MX$15.44

167.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.10 MX$57.3

30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$5.07 MX$93.6

34.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.44 MX$26.55

-38.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.23 MX$41.23

59.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.47 MX$27.17

121.77%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.53 MX$46.71

32.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$7.30 MX$135

38.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$7.86 MX$145

73.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$12.79 MX$236

48.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.90 MX$53.6

102.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.44 MX$26.53

26.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$2.55 MX$47.07

162.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.06 MX$38.03

153.40%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.00 MX$36.97

127.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.01 MX$37.07

102.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.19 MX$22.02

94.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.26 MX$23.23

93.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$4.40 MX$81.4

196.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$9.59 MX$177

67.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.59 MX$29.41

80.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.81 MX$51.9

77.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.57 MX$10.47

73.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$27.82 MX$514

27.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$4.98 MX$92.1

2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.50 MX$64.6

-51.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$5.40 MX$99.8

346.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.47 MX$27.08

-34.69%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

17.86%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

4.88%

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

$176 $176

$84.2 MX$1,556

109.36%

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

$54.3 $54.3

$23.99 MX$443

126.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$29.02 MX$536

145.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$63.0 MX$1,164

9.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$29.14 MX$539

-32.26%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$4.94 MX$91.3

223.28%

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

$1,370 $1,370

$204 MX$3,763

572.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

817.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$43.60 MX$806

33.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$43.12 MX$797

3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$75.8 MX$1,400

18.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$88.6 MX$1,637

18.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$374 MX$6,911

119.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$1,708 MX$31.6K

8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,106 MX$20.4K

36.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-38.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-64.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$754 MX$13.9K

376.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

11.45

-44.02%

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

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 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

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 54.5% $448

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 40.8% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 54.5% $165

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 31.1% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 15.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 27.8% $28

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 1% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 377% 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: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

Same time as Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ames, IA Playa del Carmen 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
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

Ames, IA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 377% higher in Ames, IA, 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: $1,005 in Ames, IA 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 28% less than in Ames, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA 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 $2,142 in Ames, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ames, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Ames, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.