Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Champaign, IL and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,161 in Champaign, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Champaign, IL
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Champaign, IL Living Index
59

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

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Champaign, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,161

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,161 per month in Champaign, IL vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Champaign, IL $2,161
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $3,133 per month in Champaign, IL vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Champaign, IL $3,133
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $4,106 per month in Champaign, IL vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Champaign, IL $4,106
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Champaign, IL costs about 79% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Champaign, IL sits 60% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.25 $15.25

$10.76 MX$199

41.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 $60.8

$43.03 MX$795

41.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$11.79 MX$218

-14.25%

Cappuccino

$4.83 $4.83

$3.87 MX$71.4

24.81%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$1.37 MX$25.29

56.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.84 MX$15.44

105.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 $5.57

$3.10 MX$57.3

79.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 $5.35

$5.07 MX$93.6

5.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.44 MX$26.55

-40.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.23 MX$41.23

40.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.47 MX$27.17

112.93%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$2.53 MX$46.71

53.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.19 $12.19

$7.30 MX$135

66.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$7.86 MX$145

-24.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 $12.81

$12.79 MX$236

0.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.90 MX$53.6

18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.44 MX$26.53

-4.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.55 MX$47.07

21.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.06 MX$38.03

121.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.00 MX$36.97

1.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.01 MX$37.07

10.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.19 MX$22.02

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.26 MX$23.23

-0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.25 $10.25

$4.40 MX$81.4

132.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$9.59 MX$177

53.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.59 MX$29.41

35.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.81 MX$51.9

45.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.57 MX$10.47

70.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.38 $20.38

$27.82 MX$514

-26.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$4.98 MX$92.1

-49.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.50 MX$64.6

-54.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.47 MX$27.08

-21.09%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

67.36%

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

$32.3K $32.3K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

34.91%

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

$240 $240

$84.2 MX$1,556

184.91%

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

$45.66 $45.66

$23.99 MX$443

90.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$29.02 MX$536

132.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 $25.34

$63.0 MX$1,164

-59.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.85 $11.85

$29.14 MX$539

-59.33%

Cinema Ticket

$11.09 $11.09

$4.94 MX$91.3

124.49%

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

$993 $993

$204 MX$3,763

387.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K $19.9K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

405.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.98 $48.98

$43.60 MX$806

12.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$75.8 MX$1,400

52.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$88.6 MX$1,637

37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 $1,453

$1,008 MX$18.6K

44.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 $1,016

$374 MX$6,911

171.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 $1,941

$1,708 MX$31.6K

13.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,691 $1,691

$1,106 MX$20.4K

52.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,688 $1,688

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-57.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,709 $1,709

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-72.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,674 $3,674

$754 MX$13.9K

387.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

11.45

-40.44%

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

Last update for Champaign, IL: October 11, 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

Champaign, IL

$1K 47%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 63.2% $642

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Champaign, IL

$353 16.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 61.1% $216

Groceries & Markets

Champaign, IL

$316 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 18.3% $58

Eating Out

Champaign, IL

$264 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 23.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Champaign, IL

$129 * 6%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 12.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Champaign, IL

$48 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 53.4% $25

Getting Around

Champaign, IL

$35 1.6%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 51.2% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,453 in Champaign, IL versus $1,008 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 run about 387% higher in Champaign, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Champaign, IL versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Champaign, IL

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

Same time as Champaign, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,302

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Champaign, IL Playa del Carmen 2,170 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Champaign, IL
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

Champaign, IL vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,161 in Champaign, IL, $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 79% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,241 per month in Champaign, IL and $1,816 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Champaign, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Champaign, IL and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Champaign, IL at $2,161. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Champaign, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,210 in Playa del Carmen to $2,161 in Champaign, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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