Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Brookhaven, NY
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Brookhaven, 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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Brookhaven, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,722

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Brookhaven, NY $2,722
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,065 in Brookhaven, NY versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Brookhaven, NY $4,065
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,408 in Brookhaven, NY versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Brookhaven, NY $5,408
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Brookhaven, NY is roughly 126% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brookhaven, NY is 101% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$10.86 MX$201

127.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$44.21 MX$817

123.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$11.76 MX$217

-4.76%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.68 MX$68.0

45.38%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$1.34 MX$24.79

67.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.82 MX$15.24

87.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.01 $8.01

$3.06 MX$56.6

161.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$4.94 MX$91.2

65.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.47 MX$27.17

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.22 MX$40.95

94.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.76 $7.76

$1.48 MX$27.32

424.32%

Eggs

$5.75 $5.75

$2.49 MX$45.99

130.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$7.52 MX$139

67.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$7.96 MX$147

45.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 $17.07

$12.57 MX$232

35.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.78 MX$51.3

99.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.43 MX$26.37

20.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.62 MX$48.37

135.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.14 MX$39.49

186.92%

Potato (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$2.02 MX$37.38

170.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.99 MX$36.74

89.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.14 MX$21.01

144.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.20 MX$22.18

145.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 $11.50

$4.26 MX$78.7

169.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.08 $24.08

$10.02 MX$185

140.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.54 MX$28.41

11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 $5.49

$2.66 MX$49.17

106.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.53 MX$9.73

250.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$4.90 MX$90.6

-40.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.43 MX$63.5

-40.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.54 $23.54

$5.38 MX$99.4

337.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.45 MX$26.76

-24.14%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

30.35%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

16.04%

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

$211 $211

$85.4 MX$1,577

146.93%

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

$75.6 $75.6

$23.46 MX$434

222.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 $64.3

$28.43 MX$525

126.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.96 $40.96

$62.2 MX$1,149

-34.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$14.76 $14.76

$5.10 MX$94.3

189.41%

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

$2,237 $2,237

$201 MX$3,715

1012.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

496.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.13 $41.13

$44.39 MX$820

-7.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 $56.5

$41.35 MX$764

36.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 $76.1

$72.7 MX$1,344

4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 $158

$89.6 MX$1,656

76.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 $1,587

$979 MX$18.1K

62.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 $1,275

$373 MX$6,887

242.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 $2,527

$1,681 MX$31.1K

50.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 $2,118

$1,095 MX$20.2K

93.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,099 $3,099

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-21.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,127 $2,127

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-65.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

11.45

-41.05%

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

Last update for Brookhaven, NY: October 18, 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

Brookhaven, NY

$1.3K 46.9%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 70.8% $902

Groceries & Markets

Brookhaven, NY

$489 18%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 47.1% $230

Eating Out

Brookhaven, NY

$367 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 45.5% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brookhaven, NY

$351 12.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 60.9% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Brookhaven, NY

$149 5.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 25.2% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Brookhaven, NY

$70 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 2.7% $1.9

Getting Around

Brookhaven, NY

$21 * 0.8%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 152% $31

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 $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Brookhaven, NY vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brookhaven, NY

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:58 9:58 AM

08:58 8:58 AM

1 h behind Brookhaven, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,674

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Brookhaven, NY Playa del Carmen 2,610 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brookhaven, 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $4,083 in Brookhaven, NY 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY 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 Brookhaven, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,722 per month in Brookhaven, NY versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 126% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Brookhaven, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brookhaven, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Brookhaven, 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 126% less than in Brookhaven, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.