Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,842 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index
59

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

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Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,842 in Cary, NC versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Cary, NC $2,842
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,173 in Cary, NC versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Cary, NC $4,173
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,505 in Cary, NC versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Cary, NC $5,505
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Cary, NC is roughly 135% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cary, NC is 111% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.35 $19.35

$10.76 MX$199

79.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.3 $99.3

$43.03 MX$795

130.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 $10.42

$11.79 MX$218

-11.62%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$3.87 MX$71.4

30.75%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$1.37 MX$25.29

48.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.84 MX$15.44

120.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.10 MX$57.3

45.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 $6.39

$5.07 MX$93.6

26.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.44 MX$26.55

-27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.23 MX$41.23

147.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$1.47 MX$27.17

320.41%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$2.53 MX$46.71

58.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.74 $17.74

$7.30 MX$135

143.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$7.86 MX$145

111.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$12.79 MX$236

40.42%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$2.90 MX$53.6

115.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.44 MX$26.53

34.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.55 MX$47.07

47.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$2.06 MX$38.03

234.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.00 MX$36.97

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.01 MX$37.07

107.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.19 MX$22.02

149.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.26 MX$23.23

88.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$4.40 MX$81.4

128.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 $9.71

$9.59 MX$177

1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.59 MX$29.41

46.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.81 MX$51.9

43.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$0.57 MX$10.47

343.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.7 $78.7

$27.82 MX$514

182.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.47 MX$27.08

-36.73%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

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

$28.7K $28.7K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

19.89%

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

$179 $179

$84.2 MX$1,556

112.40%

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

$47.18 $47.18

$23.99 MX$443

96.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$29.02 MX$536

132.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$63.0 MX$1,164

23.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 $21.88

$29.14 MX$539

-24.91%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$4.94 MX$91.3

208.91%

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

$1,455 $1,455

$204 MX$3,763

614.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$43.60 MX$806

51.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.18 $32.18

$43.12 MX$797

-25.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$75.8 MX$1,400

57.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$88.6 MX$1,637

54.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 $1,904

$1,008 MX$18.6K

88.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 $1,407

$374 MX$6,911

276.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 $2,710

$1,708 MX$31.6K

58.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$1,106 MX$20.4K

95.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,859 $2,859

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-27.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-57.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,032 $6,032

$754 MX$13.9K

699.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

11.45

-43.93%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: October 10, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 73.4% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Cary, NC

$486 17.1%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 46.9% $228

Eating Out

Cary, NC

$298 10.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 32% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cary, NC

$294 10.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 53.3% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Cary, NC

$160 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 29.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Cary, NC

$108 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 32.7% $35

Getting Around

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 40.8% $36

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 $1,904 in Cary, NC and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 700% 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: $99.0 in Cary, NC vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

1 h behind Cary, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,987

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

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Between locations

Cary, NC Playa del Carmen 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cary, NC
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

Cary, NC vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 135% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 700% higher in Cary, NC, 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: $1,904 in Cary, NC versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,455 in Cary, NC versus $204 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,842 in Cary, NC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cary, NC. 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 Cary, NC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 135% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.