Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $36,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

204

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
Learn more

Brooklyn, NY Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,230

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,230 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $4,230
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $6,364 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $6,364
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $8,497 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $8,497
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Brooklyn, NY costs about 252% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Brooklyn, NY sits 213% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$10.67 MX$199

90.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 $107

$43.80 MX$815

143.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$11.79 MX$219

0.59%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$3.79 MX$70.5

44.85%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.30 MX$24.14

103.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.83 MX$15.51

173.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$3.15 MX$58.6

148.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.90 $8.90

$4.93 MX$91.8

80.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.41 MX$26.22

18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.20 MX$40.86

108.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$1.47 MX$27.40

377.55%

Eggs

$6.59 $6.59

$2.50 MX$46.47

163.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 $16.57

$7.29 MX$136

127.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.01 $17.01

$7.95 MX$148

113.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.96 $19.96

$12.86 MX$239

55.21%

Apples (1kg)

$7.93 $7.93

$2.90 MX$53.9

173.45%

Banana (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.38 MX$25.74

166.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.49 MX$46.36

110.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.03 MX$37.78

197.54%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.02 MX$37.69

99.01%

Onion (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$1.90 MX$35.42

152.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.14 MX$21.30

131.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.24 MX$23.06

95.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.04 $15.04

$4.27 MX$79.5

252.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.33 $21.33

$9.81 MX$183

117.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.59 MX$29.51

72.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.75 MX$51.1

18.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.51 MX$9.58

476.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$183 $183

$27.39 MX$510

568.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.76 MX$88.6

-37.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.25 MX$60.5

-34.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.63 $42.63

$5.39 MX$100

690.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.53 MX$28.44

-25.49%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

47.24%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

11.34%

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

$219 $219

$83.5 MX$1,554

162.53%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$23.19 MX$431

160.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$27.61 MX$514

121.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$56.4 MX$1,050

117.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.28 $35.28

$28.19 MX$525

25.15%

Cinema Ticket

$20.06 $20.06

$5.00 MX$93.1

301.20%

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

$3,022 $3,022

$207 MX$3,854

1359.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$52.2K $52.2K

$5,231 MX$97.4K

897.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$43.45 MX$809

61.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.8 $76.8

$42.54 MX$792

80.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$72.8 MX$1,354

67.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$88.4 MX$1,645

34.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,827 $3,827

$995 MX$18.5K

284.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$382 MX$7,116

541.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,537 $7,537

$1,674 MX$31.2K

350.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,441 $4,441

$1,081 MX$20.1K

310.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.4K $12.4K

$3,909 MX$72.7K

217.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,713 $7,713

$6,138 MX$114.2K

25.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,614 $3,614

$832 MX$15.5K

334.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

11.45

-40.79%

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: 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

Brooklyn, NY

$2.5K 58%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 84.4% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

Brooklyn, NY

$549 13%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 53.1% $291

Eating Out

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 41.3% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brooklyn, NY

$341 8.1%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 60.6% $207

Getting Around

Brooklyn, NY

$208 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 75.8% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Brooklyn, NY

$174 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 36.2% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Brooklyn, NY

$163 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 59.2% $96

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY versus $995 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.

Salaries in Brooklyn, NY are about 4.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Brooklyn, NY versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $549 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

Same time as Brooklyn, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,736,074

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brooklyn, NY Playa del Carmen 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brooklyn, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY, $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 72% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,346 per month in Brooklyn, NY and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $3,827 in Brooklyn, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Brooklyn, NY and $44 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 72% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Brooklyn, NY at $4,230. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brooklyn, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,202 versus $4,230 in Brooklyn, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brooklyn, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.