Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East Chicago, IN and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,605 in East Chicago, IN, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in East Chicago, IN
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East Chicago, IN Living Index
58

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

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East Chicago, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,605

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,605 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $2,605
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,819 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $3,819
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,034 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $5,034
Playa del Carmen $2,959

East Chicago, IN costs about 116% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

East Chicago, IN sits 91% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.32 $22.32

$10.92 MX$204

104.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$43.37 MX$808

49.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$11.78 MX$220

0.76%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.81 MX$71.0

47.77%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$1.28 MX$23.90

78.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.78 MX$14.59

162.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 $6.81

$3.17 MX$59.0

114.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 $6.27

$4.93 MX$92.0

27.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.41 MX$26.22

-24.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.22 MX$41.33

37.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.42 MX$26.42

234.51%

Eggs

$3.58 $3.58

$2.52 MX$47.03

42.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 $13.42

$7.26 MX$135

84.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 $12.42

$7.70 MX$143

61.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.70 $18.70

$12.69 MX$237

47.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.78 MX$51.9

82.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.37 MX$25.50

13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.55 MX$47.55

67.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.12 MX$39.58

94.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.94 MX$36.13

43.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.89 MX$35.16

62.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.15 MX$21.37

93.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.18 MX$21.98

88.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 $10.24

$4.30 MX$80.1

138.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.19 $17.19

$9.95 MX$185

72.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.58 MX$29.52

25.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.67 MX$49.79

16.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.55 MX$10.31

238.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.2 $51.2

$26.62 MX$496

92.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.97 MX$92.6

-31.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$3.33 MX$62.1

-53.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.94 $28.94

$5.36 MX$99.8

439.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.44 MX$26.92

-34.72%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

39.46%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

6.20%

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

$199 $199

$84.8 MX$1,581

134.90%

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

$57.1 $57.1

$23.41 MX$436

143.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$28.66 MX$534

143.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.38 $34.38

$57.1 MX$1,063

-39.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$12.97 $12.97

$5.14 MX$95.8

152.33%

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

$1,336 $1,336

$207 MX$3,851

546.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K $21.6K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

450.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$43.35 MX$808

28.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.96 $37.96

$41.44 MX$772

-8.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 $91.3

$74.2 MX$1,383

23.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$89.3 MX$1,664

21.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$980 MX$18.3K

61.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$381 MX$7,099

232.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,539 $2,539

$1,708 MX$31.8K

48.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,140 $2,140

$1,075 MX$20.0K

99.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,920 $2,920

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-25.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,165 $2,165

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-64.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,091 $4,091

$735 MX$13.7K

456.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.45

-42.62%

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

Last update for East Chicago, IN: October 24, 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

East Chicago, IN

$1.3K 48.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 69.9% $884

Groceries & Markets

East Chicago, IN

$406 15.6%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 37.2% $151

Eating Out

East Chicago, IN

$346 13.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 41.5% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East Chicago, IN

$326 12.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 58% $189

Clothing & Footwear

East Chicago, IN

$132 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 15.3% $20

Getting Around

East Chicago, IN

$70 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 27.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

East Chicago, IN

$60 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 11.6% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,578 in East Chicago, IN 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 East Chicago, IN are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in East Chicago, IN versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 East Chicago, IN

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

Same time as East Chicago, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,370

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

East Chicago, IN Playa del Carmen 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

East Chicago, IN
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

East Chicago, IN vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – East Chicago, IN is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,907 per month in East Chicago, IN 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 $1,578 in East Chicago, IN.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,605 in East Chicago, IN and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 116%.

Public transport costs about 48% 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 East Chicago, IN at $2,605. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in East Chicago, IN 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, East Chicago, IN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.