Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beach Haven, NJ and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $3,133 in Beach Haven, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Beach Haven, NJ
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Beach Haven, NJ Living Index
57

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

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Beach Haven, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,133

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,133 in Beach Haven, NJ versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Beach Haven, NJ $3,133
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,536 in Beach Haven, NJ versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Beach Haven, NJ $4,536
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,939 in Beach Haven, NJ versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Beach Haven, NJ $5,939
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Beach Haven, NJ is roughly 161% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Beach Haven, NJ is 132% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.56 $26.56

$10.67 MX$199

148.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$43.80 MX$815

169.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.33 $14.33

$11.79 MX$219

21.54%

Cappuccino

$6.57 $6.57

$3.79 MX$70.5

73.35%

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

$3.91 $3.91

$1.30 MX$24.14

200.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$0.83 MX$15.51

269.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 $8.11

$3.15 MX$58.6

157.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 $10.17

$4.93 MX$91.8

106.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.41 MX$26.22

-6.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.81 $4.81

$2.20 MX$40.86

118.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.49 $7.49

$1.47 MX$27.40

409.52%

Eggs

$6.18 $6.18

$2.50 MX$46.46

147.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.91 $19.91

$7.29 MX$136

173.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.17 $18.17

$7.95 MX$148

128.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.06 $20.06

$12.86 MX$239

55.99%

Apples (1kg)

$7.11 $7.11

$2.90 MX$53.9

145.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.38 MX$25.74

61.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$2.49 MX$46.35

160.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.13 $7.13

$2.03 MX$37.77

251.23%

Potato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.02 MX$37.68

118.81%

Onion (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$1.90 MX$35.42

152.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.14 MX$21.30

151.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.24 MX$23.05

111.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.36 $19.36

$4.27 MX$79.5

353.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.60 $19.60

$9.81 MX$183

99.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.59 MX$29.51

110.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.75 MX$51.1

44.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 $1.83

$0.51 MX$9.58

258.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 $56.6

$27.39 MX$510

106.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.76 MX$88.6

-35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.25 MX$60.5

-33.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.44 $41.44

$5.39 MX$100

668.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.53 MX$28.44

-24.18%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

63.22%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

12.70%

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

$235 $235

$83.5 MX$1,554

182.03%

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

$72.3 $72.3

$23.19 MX$431

211.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$27.61 MX$514

151.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.95 $37.95

$56.4 MX$1,050

-32.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$22.68 $22.68

$5.00 MX$93.1

353.60%

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

$1,374 $1,374

$207 MX$3,854

563.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K $20.4K

$5,231 MX$97.3K

290.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 $79.1

$43.45 MX$809

82.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$42.54 MX$792

19.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$72.8 MX$1,354

69.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$88.4 MX$1,645

58.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 $1,368

$995 MX$18.5K

37.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 $1,427

$382 MX$7,116

273.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,700 $2,700

$1,674 MX$31.2K

61.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 $2,027

$1,081 MX$20.1K

87.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,743 $2,743

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-29.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,673 $2,673

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-56.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

11.45

-39.83%

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

Last update for Beach Haven, NJ: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Beach Haven, NJ

$1.4K 45.6%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 73.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Beach Haven, NJ

$567 18.1%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 54.6% $310

Eating Out

Beach Haven, NJ

$423 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 52.7% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beach Haven, NJ

$377 12%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 64.4% $243

Clothing & Footwear

Beach Haven, NJ

$177 5.7%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 37.2% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Beach Haven, NJ

$83 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 20.3% $17

Getting Around

Beach Haven, NJ

$78 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 35.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,368 in Beach Haven, NJ and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $118 in Beach Haven, NJ vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Beach Haven, NJ

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:38 6:38 PM

Same time as Beach Haven, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,200

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 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 November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Beach Haven, NJ Playa del Carmen 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Beach Haven, 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

Beach Haven, NJ vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 62% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,699 in Beach Haven, NJ and $1,804 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: $1,368 in Beach Haven, NJ versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,133 per month in Beach Haven, NJ versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 62% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 52% less than in Beach Haven, NJ. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,133 in Beach Haven, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Beach Haven, 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 62% less than in Beach Haven, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.