Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Atlantic City, NJ and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

136

Cost of Living Index in Atlantic City, NJ
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Atlantic City, NJ Living Index
59

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

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Atlantic City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,821

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Atlantic City, NJ $2,821
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,228 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Atlantic City, NJ $4,228
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,635 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Atlantic City, NJ $5,635
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Atlantic City, NJ is roughly 134% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Atlantic City, NJ is 108% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$10.86 MX$201

81.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.1 $98.1

$44.21 MX$817

121.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 $11.30

$11.76 MX$217

-3.91%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$3.68 MX$68.0

47.55%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$1.34 MX$24.79

70.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.82 MX$15.24

145.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.06 MX$56.6

99.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.78 $8.78

$4.94 MX$91.2

77.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.47 MX$27.17

-15.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.22 MX$40.95

52.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.27 $7.27

$1.48 MX$27.32

391.22%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$2.49 MX$45.99

69.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 $11.18

$7.52 MX$139

48.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.67 $16.67

$7.96 MX$147

109.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.14 $20.14

$12.57 MX$232

60.22%

Apples (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$2.78 MX$51.3

171.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.43 MX$26.37

158.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$2.62 MX$48.37

106.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.14 MX$39.49

173.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.02 MX$37.38

97.03%

Onion (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.99 MX$36.74

138.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.14 MX$21.01

122.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.20 MX$22.18

104.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.24 $14.24

$4.26 MX$78.7

234.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 $13.27

$10.02 MX$185

32.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.54 MX$28.41

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.66 MX$49.17

27.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$0.53 MX$9.73

473.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.3 $88.3

$27.51 MX$508

220.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$4.90 MX$90.6

-38.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$3.43 MX$63.5

-38.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.73 $42.73

$5.38 MX$99.4

694.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.45 MX$26.76

-33.79%

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

$20.4K $20.4K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

-3.71%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

7.85%

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

$250 $250

$85.4 MX$1,577

192.99%

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

$61.2 $61.2

$23.46 MX$434

160.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 $61.0

$28.43 MX$525

114.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.59 $29.59

$62.2 MX$1,149

-52.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 $50.1

$28.68 MX$530

74.65%

Cinema Ticket

$16.78 $16.78

$5.10 MX$94.3

229.02%

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

$503 $503

$201 MX$3,715

150.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,031 $7,031

$3,947 MX$72.9K

78.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 $70.5

$44.39 MX$820

58.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.78 $31.78

$41.35 MX$764

-23.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$72.7 MX$1,344

67.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$89.6 MX$1,656

33.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 $1,737

$979 MX$18.1K

77.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$373 MX$6,887

250.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,320 $2,320

$1,681 MX$31.1K

38.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,175 $2,175

$1,095 MX$20.2K

98.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,255 $4,255

$3,949 MX$73.0K

7.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,212 $4,212

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-31.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,017 $4,017

$738 MX$13.6K

444.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.45

-41.75%

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

Last update for Atlantic City, NJ: October 20, 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

Atlantic City, NJ

$1.3K 46.3%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 71.5% $934

Groceries & Markets

Atlantic City, NJ

$488 17.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 47% $229

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Atlantic City, NJ

$372 13.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 63.1% $235

Eating Out

Atlantic City, NJ

$322 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 37.8% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Atlantic City, NJ

$155 5.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 27.9% $43

Getting Around

Atlantic City, NJ

$114 4%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 54.6% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Atlantic City, NJ

$63 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 14.7% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Atlantic City, NJ pays 445% 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: $98.0 in Atlantic City, NJ vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $488 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

05:53 5:53 AM

1 h behind Atlantic City, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,958

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

Atlantic City, NJ Playa del Carmen 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Atlantic City, NJ
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

Atlantic City, NJ vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Atlantic City, NJ and Playa del Carmen differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($2,821 vs $1,204 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 445% higher in Atlantic City, NJ, 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: $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Atlantic City, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $98.0 in Atlantic City, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Atlantic City, NJ. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Atlantic City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.