Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,365 in Ashland, OH, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, OH
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Ashland, OH 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, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,365

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,365 in Ashland, OH versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Ashland, OH $2,365
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,244 in Ashland, OH versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Ashland, OH $3,244
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,124 in Ashland, OH versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Ashland, OH $4,124
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Ashland, OH is roughly 96% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashland, OH is 75% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.76 $8.76

$10.86 MX$201

-19.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.20 $35.20

$44.21 MX$817

-20.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.26 $8.26

$11.76 MX$217

-29.76%

Cappuccino

$3.45 $3.45

$3.68 MX$68.0

-6.25%

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

$2.18 $2.18

$1.34 MX$24.79

62.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.82 MX$15.24

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.06 MX$56.6

-10.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$4.94 MX$91.2

62.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.47 MX$27.17

-43.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.22 MX$40.95

-17.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.48 MX$27.32

140.54%

Eggs

$3.65 $3.65

$2.49 MX$45.99

46.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 $9.93

$7.52 MX$139

32.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 $9.23

$7.96 MX$147

15.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$12.57 MX$232

15.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.78 MX$51.3

23.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.43 MX$26.37

-17.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.62 MX$48.37

23.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.14 MX$39.49

106.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.02 MX$37.38

-1.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.99 MX$36.74

45.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.14 MX$21.01

81.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.20 MX$22.18

65.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.33 $10.33

$4.26 MX$78.7

142.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.38 $9.38

$10.02 MX$185

-6.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.54 MX$28.41

38.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.66 MX$49.17

-2.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 $4.92

$0.53 MX$9.73

828.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$200 $200

$27.51 MX$508

626.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$4.90 MX$90.6

-38.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 $0.93

$3.43 MX$63.5

-72.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.04 $18.04

$5.38 MX$99.4

235.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.45 MX$26.76

-28.28%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

39.80%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

13.39%

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

$198 $198

$85.4 MX$1,577

131.88%

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

$33.76 $33.76

$23.46 MX$434

43.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 $58.7

$28.43 MX$525

106.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.79 $45.79

$62.2 MX$1,149

-26.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$8.08 $8.08

$5.10 MX$94.3

58.43%

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

$890 $890

$201 MX$3,715

342.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K $20.3K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

414.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$44.39 MX$820

21.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.89 $43.89

$41.35 MX$764

6.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 $99.3

$72.7 MX$1,344

36.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$89.6 MX$1,656

17.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$885 $885

$979 MX$18.1K

-9.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 $1,157

$373 MX$6,887

210.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 $1,325

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-21.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$1,095 MX$20.2K

51.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,838 $1,838

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-53.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,968 $1,968

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-67.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,580 $3,580

$738 MX$13.6K

385.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

11.45

-42.36%

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

Last update for Ashland, OH: October 18, 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, OH

$1.2K 48.9%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 67.8% $785

Groceries & Markets

Ashland, OH

$313 13.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 17.4% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ashland, OH

$290 12.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 52.7% $153

Getting Around

Ashland, OH

$227 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 77.2% $175

Eating Out

Ashland, OH

$180 7.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 11.5% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Ashland, OH

$136 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 17.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Ashland, OH

$62 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 16.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $885 in Ashland, OH and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashland, OH pays 385% 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: $35.00 in Ashland, OH vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $313 vs $258, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ashland, OH

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

1 h behind Ashland, OH

🌤 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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, OH Playa del Carmen 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Ashland, OH. 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 385% higher in Ashland, OH, 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: $885 in Ashland, OH versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $35.00 in Ashland, OH. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,365 per month in Ashland, OH versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,365 in Ashland, OH, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ashland, OH. 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 $1,204 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 96% less than in Ashland, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.