Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashland, MA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,658 in Ashland, MA, rent and utilities included – about $29,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

177

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, MA
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Ashland, MA Living Index
59

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

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Ashland, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,658

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,658 per month in Ashland, MA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ashland, MA $3,658
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,726 per month in Ashland, MA vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ashland, MA $4,726
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $5,794 per month in Ashland, MA vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Ashland, MA $5,794
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Ashland, MA costs about 204% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ashland, MA sits 170% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.75 $19.75

$10.86 MX$201

81.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 $75.5

$44.21 MX$817

70.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 $13.23

$11.76 MX$217

12.50%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$3.68 MX$68.0

40.22%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$1.34 MX$24.79

113.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.82 MX$15.24

212.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.06 MX$56.6

92.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.73 $8.73

$4.94 MX$91.2

76.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.47 MX$27.17

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.22 MX$40.95

103.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.18 $16.18

$1.48 MX$27.32

993.24%

Eggs

$6.13 $6.13

$2.49 MX$45.99

146.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.68 $17.68

$7.52 MX$139

135.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$7.96 MX$147

31.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.80 $18.80

$12.57 MX$232

49.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.78 MX$51.3

95.32%

Banana (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.43 MX$26.37

204.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.62 MX$48.37

29.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.14 MX$39.49

42.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.02 MX$37.38

9.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.99 MX$36.74

24.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.14 MX$21.01

135.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.20 MX$22.18

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.66 $13.66

$4.26 MX$78.7

220.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.90 $16.90

$10.02 MX$185

68.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.54 MX$28.41

18.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.66 MX$49.17

7.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.90 MX$90.6

23.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.45 MX$26.76

-28.97%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

31.49%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

16.07%

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

$180 $180

$85.4 MX$1,577

111.45%

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

$37.21 $37.21

$23.46 MX$434

58.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.5 $58.5

$28.43 MX$525

105.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 $74.6

$62.2 MX$1,149

19.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

$28.68 MX$530

53.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.31 $12.31

$5.10 MX$94.3

141.37%

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

$2,112 $2,112

$201 MX$3,715

950.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.70 $38.70

$44.39 MX$820

-12.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.39 $16.39

$41.35 MX$764

-60.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$72.7 MX$1,344

35.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$89.6 MX$1,656

11.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$979 MX$18.1K

115.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 $2,339

$373 MX$6,887

527.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,923 $2,923

$1,681 MX$31.1K

73.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,823 $2,823

$1,095 MX$20.2K

157.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,033 $5,033

$3,949 MX$73.0K

27.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,385 $4,385

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-28.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,931 $7,931

$738 MX$13.6K

975.35%

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 Ashland, MA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ashland, MA

$2.3K 64%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 84.1% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Ashland, MA

$494 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 47.7% $236

Eating Out

Ashland, MA

$328 9%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 39% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashland, MA

$276 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 50.3% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Ashland, MA

$114 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 2.2% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Ashland, MA

$99 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 27% $27

Getting Around

Ashland, MA

$6.1 * 0.2%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 752% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,107 in Ashland, MA versus $979 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 run about 975% higher in Ashland, MA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Ashland, MA versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $494 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashland, MA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:52 6:52 AM

05:52 5:52 AM

1 h behind Ashland, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,684

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Ashland, MA Playa del Carmen 2,810 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Ashland, MA
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

Ashland, MA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashland, MA costs about 204% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,486 per month in Ashland, MA and $1,806 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,658 in Ashland, MA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 204%.

Kindergarten costs $2,112 per month in Ashland, MA and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Ashland, MA at $3,658. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashland, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $3,658 in Ashland, MA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashland, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.