Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Astoria, NY and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,298 in Astoria, NY, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

162

Cost of Living Index in Astoria, NY
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Astoria, NY Living Index
59

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

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Astoria, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,298

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,298 in Astoria, NY versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Astoria, NY $3,298
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,650 in Astoria, NY versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Astoria, NY $4,650
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,002 in Astoria, NY versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Astoria, NY $6,002
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Astoria, NY is roughly 172% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Astoria, NY is 144% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.30 $19.30

$10.76 MX$199

79.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$43.03 MX$795

87.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.12 $10.12

$11.79 MX$218

-14.16%

Cappuccino

$4.56 $4.56

$3.87 MX$71.4

17.83%

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

$1.69 $1.69

$1.37 MX$25.29

23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.84 MX$15.44

123.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.10 MX$57.3

64.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.07 MX$93.6

58.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.44 MX$26.55

-21.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.23 MX$41.23

71.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.47 MX$27.17

149.66%

Eggs

$3.52 $3.52

$2.53 MX$46.71

39.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.75 $16.75

$7.30 MX$135

129.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.07 $9.07

$7.86 MX$145

15.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 $13.37

$12.79 MX$236

4.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.90 MX$53.6

41.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.44 MX$26.53

30.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.55 MX$47.07

1.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.06 MX$38.03

92.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.00 MX$36.97

23.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.01 MX$37.07

21.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.19 MX$22.02

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.26 MX$23.23

97.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.17 $15.17

$4.40 MX$81.4

244.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.30 $20.30

$9.59 MX$177

111.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.59 MX$29.41

7.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.81 MX$51.9

21.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$0.57 MX$10.47

438.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$27.82 MX$514

401.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$4.98 MX$92.1

-40.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.50 MX$64.6

-39.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.52 $41.52

$5.40 MX$99.8

668.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.47 MX$27.08

-36.73%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

67.50%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

5.56%

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

$113 $113

$84.2 MX$1,556

34.51%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$23.99 MX$443

139.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$29.02 MX$536

74.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.62 $45.62

$63.0 MX$1,164

-27.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$20.18 $20.18

$4.94 MX$91.3

308.50%

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

$2,578 $2,578

$204 MX$3,763

1166.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K $34.8K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

781.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.10 $25.10

$43.60 MX$806

-42.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.11 $20.11

$43.12 MX$797

-53.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$29.80 $29.80

$75.8 MX$1,400

-60.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.9 $50.9

$88.6 MX$1,637

-42.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 $2,347

$1,008 MX$18.6K

132.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,091 $2,091

$374 MX$6,911

459.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,812 $3,812

$1,708 MX$31.6K

123.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,225 $3,225

$1,106 MX$20.4K

191.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.45

-43.67%

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

Last update for Astoria, NY: October 10, 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

Astoria, NY

$2.1K 63.4%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 82.1% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Astoria, NY

$382 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 32.4% $124

Eating Out

Astoria, NY

$295 9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 31.5% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Astoria, NY

$221 6.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 38% $84

Getting Around

Astoria, NY

$165 5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 68.2% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Astoria, NY

$86 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 15.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Astoria, NY

$57 1.7%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 99.3% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,347 in Astoria, NY and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Astoria, NY vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $382 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Astoria, NY

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

07:35 7:35 AM

1 h behind Astoria, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,165

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 →

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Between locations

Astoria, NY Playa del Carmen 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Astoria, NY
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

Astoria, NY vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Astoria, NY and Playa del Carmen differ by about 172% in total monthly costs ($3,298 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,947 in Astoria, NY and $1,816 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,347 in Astoria, NY versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,298 per month in Astoria, NY versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 172% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 401% less than in Astoria, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,298 in Astoria, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Astoria, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Astoria, NY and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Astoria, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.