Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookings, OR and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,632 in Brookings, OR, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brookings, OR, United States
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Brookings, OR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,632
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,632 per month in Brookings, OR vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Brookings, OR $2,632
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,869 per month in Brookings, OR vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Brookings, OR $3,869
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,107 per month in Brookings, OR vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Brookings, OR $5,107
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Brookings, OR costs about 119% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Brookings, OR sits 93% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brookings, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.05 $20.05
$10.92 MX$204
83.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.7 $74.7
$43.37 MX$808
72.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.62 $9.62
$11.78 MX$220
-18.34%
Cappuccino
$6.35 $6.35
$3.81 MX$71.0
66.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$1.28 MX$23.90
160.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$0.78 MX$14.59
162.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.04 $6.04
$3.17 MX$59.0
90.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.80 $6.80
$4.93 MX$92.0
37.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brookings, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.41 MX$26.22
-25.53%
White Bread (500g)
$4.35 $4.35
$2.22 MX$41.33
95.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.42 $4.42
$1.42 MX$26.42
211.27%
Eggs
$6.08 $6.08
$2.52 MX$47.03
141.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.79 $12.79
$7.26 MX$135
76.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.83 $11.83
$7.70 MX$143
53.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.16 $16.16
$12.69 MX$237
27.34%
Apples (1kg)
$5.23 $5.23
$2.78 MX$51.9
88.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$1.37 MX$25.50
18.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.55 MX$47.55
71.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.74 $4.74
$2.12 MX$39.58
123.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.76 $2.76
$1.94 MX$36.13
42.27%
Onion (1kg)
$2.66 $2.66
$1.89 MX$35.16
40.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.15 MX$21.37
117.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.18 MX$21.98
89.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.29 $10.29
$4.30 MX$80.1
139.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.04 $15.04
$9.95 MX$185
51.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$1.58 MX$29.52
25.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$2.67 MX$49.79
17.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Brookings, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.29 $2.29
$0.55 MX$10.31
316.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.9 $57.9
$26.62 MX$496
117.39%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.40 $3.40
$4.97 MX$92.6
-31.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 $1.51
$3.33 MX$62.1
-54.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.65 $27.65
$5.36 MX$99.8
415.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.44 MX$26.92
-15.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.7K $24.7K
$20.7K MX$385.2K
19.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.3K $29.3K
$23.5K MX$437.4K
25.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brookings, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$224 $224
$84.8 MX$1,581
164.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.5 $58.5
$23.41 MX$436
149.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.2 $70.2
$28.66 MX$534
145.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brookings, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.77 $35.77
$57.1 MX$1,063
-37.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$539
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.82 $13.82
$5.14 MX$95.8
168.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brookings, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,382 $1,382
$207 MX$3,851
569.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.9K $24.9K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
534.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brookings, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.3 $53.3
$43.35 MX$808
22.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.72 $44.72
$41.44 MX$772
7.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.8 $88.8
$74.2 MX$1,383
19.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 $113
$89.3 MX$1,664
27.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brookings, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,540 $1,540
$980 MX$18.3K
57.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,255 $1,255
$381 MX$7,099
229.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,508 $2,508
$1,708 MX$31.8K
46.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,110 $2,110
$1,075 MX$20.0K
96.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,303 $3,303
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-16.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,240 $3,240
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-47.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brookings, OR
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.57
11.45
-42.62%

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

Last update for Brookings, OR: October 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brookings, OR
$1.3K
Playa del Carmen
$381 69.7% $875
Groceries & Markets
Brookings, OR
$416
Playa del Carmen
$255 38.7% $161
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brookings, OR
$353
Playa del Carmen
$137 61.2% $216
Eating Out
Brookings, OR
$331
Playa del Carmen
$202 38.8% $128
Clothing & Footwear
Brookings, OR
$135
Playa del Carmen
$112 17.3% $23
Getting Around
Brookings, OR
$78
Playa del Carmen
$50 35.3% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Brookings, OR
$63
Playa del Carmen
$67 6.2% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,540 in Brookings, OR versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75 in Brookings, OR versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Brookings, OR
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
14:22 2:22 PM
16:22 4:22 PM
2 h ahead of Brookings, OR
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
18,802
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brookings, OR Playa del Carmen 4,210 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brookings, OR
  • 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
Brookings, OR vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Brookings, OR?
Yes – Brookings, OR is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,947 per month in Brookings, OR and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,540 in Brookings, OR.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 54% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,382 per month in Brookings, OR and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Brookings, OR or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Brookings, OR at $2,632. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brookings, OR it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Brookings, OR or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 54% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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