Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,602 in Ashland, OR, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ashland, OR, United States
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Ashland, OR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,602
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,602 in Ashland, OR versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Ashland, OR $2,602
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,780 in Ashland, OR versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Ashland, OR $3,780
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,958 in Ashland, OR versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Ashland, OR $4,958
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Ashland, OR is roughly 116% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashland, OR is 91% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ashland, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.97 $14.97
$10.92 MX$204
37.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.3 $69.3
$43.37 MX$808
59.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.87 $9.87
$11.78 MX$220
-16.21%
Cappuccino
$5.11 $5.11
$3.81 MX$71.0
34.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.28 MX$23.90
51.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 $1.83
$0.78 MX$14.59
134.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.92 $5.92
$3.17 MX$59.0
86.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.02 $8.02
$4.93 MX$92.0
62.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ashland, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.41 MX$26.22
-35.46%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 $3.16
$2.22 MX$41.33
42.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.81 $3.81
$1.42 MX$26.42
168.31%
Eggs
$1.77 $1.77
$2.52 MX$47.03
-29.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.90 $11.90
$7.26 MX$135
63.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.12 $11.12
$7.70 MX$143
44.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.19 $14.19
$12.69 MX$237
11.82%
Apples (1kg)
$6.30 $6.30
$2.78 MX$51.9
126.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.37 MX$25.50
24.09%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.36 $3.36
$2.55 MX$47.55
31.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.28 $5.28
$2.12 MX$39.58
149.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.83 $1.83
$1.94 MX$36.13
-5.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 $1.69
$1.89 MX$35.16
-10.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.15 MX$21.37
77.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$1.18 MX$21.98
182.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$4.30 MX$80.1
129.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.86 $8.86
$9.95 MX$185
-10.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.58 MX$29.52
7.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 $2.41
$2.67 MX$49.79
-9.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Ashland, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.02 $2.02
$0.55 MX$10.31
267.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$56.1 $56.1
$26.62 MX$496
110.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.11 $4.11
$4.97 MX$92.6
-17.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.55 $2.55
$3.33 MX$62.1
-23.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.56 $44.56
$5.36 MX$99.8
731.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 $1.30
$1.44 MX$26.92
-9.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.3K $28.3K
$20.7K MX$385.2K
36.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K $24.0K
$23.5K MX$437.4K
2.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ashland, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$194 $194
$84.8 MX$1,581
129.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$77.0 $77.0
$23.41 MX$436
229.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$86.1 $86.1
$28.66 MX$534
200.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ashland, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.79 $41.79
$57.1 MX$1,063
-26.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$539
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.16 $14.16
$5.14 MX$95.8
175.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ashland, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,134 $1,134
$207 MX$3,851
449.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.8K $19.8K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
403.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ashland, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$61.0 $61.0
$43.35 MX$808
40.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$71.4 $71.4
$41.44 MX$772
72.39%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.5 $89.5
$74.2 MX$1,383
20.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 $120
$89.3 MX$1,664
34.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ashland, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,578 $1,578
$980 MX$18.3K
61.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,302 $1,302
$381 MX$7,099
241.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,470 $2,470
$1,708 MX$31.8K
44.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,149 $2,149
$1,075 MX$20.0K
99.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,688 $2,688
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-31.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,374 $2,374
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-61.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ashland, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.78
11.45
-40.79%

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

Last update for Ashland, OR: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ashland, OR
$1.3K
Playa del Carmen
$381 70.7% $921
Groceries & Markets
Ashland, OR
$366
Playa del Carmen
$255 30.5% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ashland, OR
$358
Playa del Carmen
$137 61.7% $221
Eating Out
Ashland, OR
$271
Playa del Carmen
$202 25.5% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Ashland, OR
$154
Playa del Carmen
$112 27.4% $42
Getting Around
Ashland, OR
$81
Playa del Carmen
$50 37.7% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Ashland, OR
$70
Playa del Carmen
$67 4% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,578 in Ashland, OR and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Ashland, OR vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Ashland, OR
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
12:34 12:34 PM
14:34 2:34 PM
2 h ahead of Ashland, OR
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
21,684
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ashland, OR Playa del Carmen 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ashland, OR
  • 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, OR vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Ashland, OR?
Playa del Carmen is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $3,903 in Ashland, OR and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Ashland, OR and Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,578 in Ashland, OR versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Ashland, OR or in Playa del Carmen?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $69 in Ashland, OR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Ashland, OR and in Playa del Carmen?
All in, you’ll spend $2,602 per month in Ashland, OR versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ashland, OR or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,602 in Ashland, OR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ashland, OR. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Ashland, OR or in Playa del Carmen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Ashland, OR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ashland, OR vs other spots: cost of living compared

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