Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge, MA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $4,661 in Cambridge, MA, rent and utilities included – about $41,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

223

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge, MA
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Cambridge, MA Living Index
58

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

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Cambridge, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,661

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,661 in Cambridge, MA versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Cambridge, MA $4,661
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,329 in Cambridge, MA versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Cambridge, MA $6,329
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,997 in Cambridge, MA versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Cambridge, MA $7,997
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 287% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge, MA is 242% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.72 $19.72

$10.92 MX$205

80.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 $99.9

$43.37 MX$815

130.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$11.78 MX$221

1.10%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$3.81 MX$71.6

35.96%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$1.28 MX$24.10

142.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.78 MX$14.71

194.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$3.17 MX$59.5

151.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.93 MX$92.7

58.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.41 MX$26.43

-17.73%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.22 MX$41.66

106.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$1.42 MX$26.64

388.73%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$2.52 MX$47.41

92.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.87 $15.87

$7.26 MX$137

118.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.36 $14.36

$7.70 MX$145

86.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.52 $19.52

$12.69 MX$239

53.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$2.78 MX$52.3

132.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.37 MX$25.71

19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$2.55 MX$47.94

140.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.08 $7.08

$2.12 MX$39.90

233.96%

Potato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.94 MX$36.43

135.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.89 MX$35.44

92.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.15 MX$21.55

152.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.18 MX$22.16

112.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.18 $13.18

$4.30 MX$80.7

206.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.64 $15.64

$9.95 MX$187

57.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.58 MX$29.76

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.67 MX$50.2

68.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.55 MX$10.40

349.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.8 $90.8

$26.62 MX$500

241.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 $2.01

$4.97 MX$93.4

-59.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$3.33 MX$62.6

-52.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 $10.86

$5.36 MX$101

102.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.44 MX$27.14

-22.92%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

34.97%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

12.74%

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

$227 $227

$84.8 MX$1,594

167.61%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$23.41 MX$440

131.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 $78.8

$28.66 MX$539

174.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 $73.5

$57.1 MX$1,072

28.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.77 $29.77

$28.91 MX$543

2.97%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$5.14 MX$96.6

192.22%

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

$2,664 $2,664

$207 MX$3,882

1189.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.3K $36.3K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

824.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 $75.0

$43.35 MX$815

72.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$41.44 MX$779

22.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$74.2 MX$1,394

39.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$89.3 MX$1,677

58.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,759 $3,759

$980 MX$18.4K

283.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,090 $3,090

$381 MX$7,157

711.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,380 $5,380

$1,708 MX$32.1K

214.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,441 $4,441

$1,075 MX$20.2K

313.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,645 $7,645

$3,943 MX$74.1K

93.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,058 $6,058

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-1.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,467 $6,467

$735 MX$13.8K

780.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

11.45

-43.23%

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

Last update for Cambridge, MA: October 25, 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

Cambridge, MA

$3.1K 66.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 87.7% $2.7K

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge, MA

$497 10.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 48.8% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge, MA

$360 7.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 62% $223

Eating Out

Cambridge, MA

$333 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 39.2% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge, MA

$167 3.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 33% $55

Getting Around

Cambridge, MA

$111 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 54.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge, MA

$104 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 35% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,759 in Cambridge, MA and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays about 8.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $100 in Cambridge, MA vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $497 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cambridge, MA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

20:20 8:20 PM

Same time as Cambridge, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,162

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 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 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Cambridge, MA Playa del Carmen 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge, MA
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

Cambridge, MA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 74% lower than in Cambridge, MA. 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 in Cambridge, MA is about 8.8 times higher, 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: $3,759 in Cambridge, MA versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Cambridge, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $100 in Cambridge, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,661 in Cambridge, MA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cambridge, MA. 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 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.