Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duluth, MN and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,214 in Duluth, MN, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Duluth, MN
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Duluth, MN Living Index
58

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

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Duluth, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,214

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,214 per month in Duluth, MN vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Duluth, MN $2,214
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,542 per month in Duluth, MN vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Duluth, MN $3,542
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,870 per month in Duluth, MN vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Duluth, MN $4,870
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Duluth, MN costs about 84% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Duluth, MN sits 63% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.10 $20.10

$10.92 MX$205

84.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 $66.4

$43.37 MX$815

53.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$11.78 MX$221

-16.21%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$3.81 MX$71.6

39.63%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$1.28 MX$24.10

100.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.78 MX$14.71

143.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 $6.59

$3.17 MX$59.5

107.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.93 MX$92.7

61.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.41 MX$26.43

-40.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.22 MX$41.66

33.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.42 MX$26.64

167.61%

Eggs

$3.63 $3.63

$2.52 MX$47.41

44.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 $10.37

$7.26 MX$137

42.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 $10.13

$7.70 MX$145

31.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.40 $19.40

$12.69 MX$239

52.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.78 MX$52.3

87.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.37 MX$25.71

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.55 MX$47.94

9.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.12 MX$39.90

108.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.94 MX$36.43

-43.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.89 MX$35.44

16.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.15 MX$21.55

-3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.18 MX$22.16

18.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.11 $13.11

$4.30 MX$80.7

204.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.23 $16.23

$9.95 MX$187

63.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.58 MX$29.76

12.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.67 MX$50.2

4.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.55 MX$10.40

250.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.81 $39.81

$26.62 MX$500

49.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.97 MX$93.4

3.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.33 MX$62.6

-54.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.18 $24.18

$5.36 MX$101

351.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.44 MX$27.14

-37.50%

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

$22.8K $22.8K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

10.44%

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

$23.5K $23.5K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

0.04%

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

$180 $180

$84.8 MX$1,594

112.29%

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

$43.17 $43.17

$23.41 MX$440

84.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 $67.5

$28.66 MX$539

135.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.4 $63.4

$57.1 MX$1,072

11.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.84 $25.84

$28.91 MX$543

-10.62%

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 $11.55

$5.14 MX$96.6

124.71%

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

$1,032 $1,032

$207 MX$3,882

399.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,973 $9,973

$3,927 MX$73.8K

153.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 $57.8

$43.35 MX$815

33.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 $44.26

$41.44 MX$779

6.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 $98.8

$74.2 MX$1,394

33.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.3 $86.3

$89.3 MX$1,677

-3.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$980 MX$18.4K

31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 $974

$381 MX$7,157

155.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,304 $2,304

$1,708 MX$32.1K

34.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 $2,132

$1,075 MX$20.2K

98.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,231 $2,231

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-43.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,161 $2,161

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-64.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,747 $3,747

$735 MX$13.8K

410.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

11.45

-45.94%

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

Last update for Duluth, MN: October 26, 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

Duluth, MN

$974 44%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 60.9% $593

Groceries & Markets

Duluth, MN

$352 15.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 27.7% $98

Eating Out

Duluth, MN

$321 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 37% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duluth, MN

$291 13.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 52.9% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Duluth, MN

$129 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 13.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Duluth, MN

$86 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 22.1% $19

Getting Around

Duluth, MN

$60 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 16.4% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,283 in Duluth, MN 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.

Salaries in Duluth, MN are about 5.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Duluth, MN versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Duluth, MN

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:41 4:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

1 h ahead of Duluth, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

86,265

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 = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Duluth, MN Playa del Carmen 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Duluth, MN
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

Duluth, MN vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Duluth, MN is pricier by about 84%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,321 per month in Duluth, MN and $1,806 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 $980 there versus $1,283 in Duluth, MN.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,214 in Duluth, MN and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 46% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Duluth, MN at $2,214. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Duluth, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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