Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brea, CA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,716 in Brea, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

180

Cost of Living Index in Brea, CA
Learn more

Brea, CA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Brea, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,716

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,716 in Brea, CA versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Brea, CA $3,716
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,124 in Brea, CA versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Brea, CA $5,124
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,532 in Brea, CA versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Brea, CA $6,532
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Brea, CA is roughly 209% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brea, CA is 174% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 $25.18

$10.86 MX$201

131.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$44.21 MX$817

77.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.76 MX$217

3.57%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.68 MX$68.0

51.90%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.34 MX$24.79

100.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.82 MX$15.24

141.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$3.06 MX$56.6

139.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.46 $9.46

$4.94 MX$91.2

91.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.47 MX$27.17

-19.73%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.22 MX$40.95

138.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.48 MX$27.32

197.97%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$2.49 MX$45.99

95.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.38 $15.38

$7.52 MX$139

104.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$7.96 MX$147

11.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 $13.91

$12.57 MX$232

10.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.78 MX$51.3

67.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.43 MX$26.37

25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.62 MX$48.37

64.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.14 MX$39.49

169.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.02 MX$37.38

78.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.99 MX$36.74

54.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.14 MX$21.01

87.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.20 MX$22.18

81.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$4.26 MX$78.7

180.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$10.02 MX$185

51.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.54 MX$28.41

14.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.66 MX$49.17

20.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.90 MX$90.6

-6.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$3.43 MX$63.5

-47.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.28 $36.28

$5.38 MX$99.4

574.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.45 MX$26.76

8.28%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

31.32%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

13.04%

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

$218 $218

$85.4 MX$1,577

155.18%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$23.46 MX$434

201.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$28.43 MX$525

143.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.08 $30.08

$62.2 MX$1,149

-51.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.02 $20.02

$28.68 MX$530

-30.20%

Cinema Ticket

$19.98 $19.98

$5.10 MX$94.3

291.76%

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

$1,162 $1,162

$201 MX$3,715

478.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K $42.8K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

983.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 $62.2

$44.39 MX$820

40.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.12 $41.12

$41.35 MX$764

-0.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 $80.9

$72.7 MX$1,344

11.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$89.6 MX$1,656

16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,241 $2,241

$979 MX$18.1K

128.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 $2,354

$373 MX$6,887

531.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,133 $3,133

$1,681 MX$31.1K

86.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,521 $3,521

$1,095 MX$20.2K

221.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,884 $5,884

$3,949 MX$73.0K

49.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,172 $6,172

$6,137 MX$113.4K

0.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,939 $9,939

$738 MX$13.6K

1247.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

11.45

-44.89%

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

Last update for Brea, CA: October 17, 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

Brea, CA

$2.4K 63.4%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 84.2% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Brea, CA

$411 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 37.2% $153

Eating Out

Brea, CA

$379 10.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 47.2% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brea, CA

$358 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 61.6% $221

Clothing & Footwear

Brea, CA

$130 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 14% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Brea, CA

$70 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 3.4% $2.4

Getting Around

Brea, CA

$14 * 0.4%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 280% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,241 in Brea, CA and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 1248% 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: $79.0 in Brea, CA vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brea, CA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

2 h ahead of Brea, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,585

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brea, CA Playa del Carmen 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brea, CA
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

Brea, CA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 209% lower than in Brea, CA. 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 1248% higher in Brea, CA, 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: $2,241 in Brea, CA versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,162 in Brea, CA versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $79.0 in Brea, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,716 in Brea, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Brea, CA. 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.

Safety-wise, Brea, CA 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 209% less than in Brea, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.