Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellsworth, ME and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,720 in Ellsworth, ME, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Ellsworth, ME
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Ellsworth, ME Living Index
57

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

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Ellsworth, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,720

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,720 in Ellsworth, ME versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Ellsworth, ME $2,720
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,044 in Ellsworth, ME versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Ellsworth, ME $4,044
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Ellsworth, ME versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Ellsworth, ME $5,368
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Ellsworth, ME is roughly 126% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ellsworth, ME is 101% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 $16.57

$10.67 MX$199

55.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$43.80 MX$815

176.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.79 MX$219

25.95%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$3.79 MX$70.5

33.25%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$1.30 MX$24.14

137.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.83 MX$15.51

197.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$3.15 MX$58.6

148.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 $7.81

$4.93 MX$91.8

58.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.41 MX$26.22

-21.99%

White Bread (500g)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.20 MX$40.86

106.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.52 $8.52

$1.47 MX$27.40

479.59%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$2.50 MX$46.47

61.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.59 $15.59

$7.29 MX$136

113.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.60 $7.60

$7.95 MX$148

-4.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.12 $16.12

$12.86 MX$239

25.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.90 MX$53.9

62.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.38 MX$25.74

24.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.49 MX$46.36

134.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$2.03 MX$37.78

227.59%

Potato (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$2.02 MX$37.69

210.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.90 MX$35.42

94.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.14 MX$21.30

191.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.24 MX$23.06

100.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.06 $12.06

$4.27 MX$79.5

182.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$9.81 MX$183

53.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.59 MX$29.51

16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.75 MX$51.1

-5.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.51 MX$9.58

239.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 $60.6

$27.39 MX$510

121.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$4.76 MX$88.6

-13.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.25 MX$60.5

-32.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.57 $30.57

$5.39 MX$100

467.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.53 MX$28.44

-28.10%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

27.16%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

13.83%

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

$179 $179

$83.5 MX$1,554

114.18%

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

$68.9 $68.9

$23.19 MX$431

197.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.5 $77.5

$27.61 MX$514

180.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.83 $38.83

$56.4 MX$1,050

-31.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$13.82 $13.82

$5.00 MX$93.1

176.40%

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

$1,272 $1,272

$207 MX$3,854

514.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$5,231 MX$97.4K

428.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$43.45 MX$809

23.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.8 $80.8

$42.54 MX$792

89.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$72.8 MX$1,354

42.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$88.4 MX$1,645

49.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$995 MX$18.5K

61.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 $1,320

$382 MX$7,116

245.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,896 $2,896

$1,674 MX$31.2K

72.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 $2,070

$1,081 MX$20.1K

91.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,909 $2,909

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-25.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,139 $2,139

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-65.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-73.80%

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

Last update for Ellsworth, ME: October 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ellsworth, ME

$1.3K 48.5%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 71% $937

Groceries & Markets

Ellsworth, ME

$445 16.3%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 42.1% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ellsworth, ME

$325 12%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 58.7% $191

Eating Out

Ellsworth, ME

$315 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 36.3% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Ellsworth, ME

$166 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 33.2% $55

Getting Around

Ellsworth, ME

$83 3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 39% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Ellsworth, ME

$66 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,602 in Ellsworth, ME and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $121 in Ellsworth, ME vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $445 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ellsworth, ME

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

Same time as Ellsworth, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,500

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 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 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Ellsworth, ME Playa del Carmen 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ellsworth, ME
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

Ellsworth, ME vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 56% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $4,080 in Ellsworth, ME and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,602 in Ellsworth, ME versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,720 per month in Ellsworth, ME versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 56% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 55% less than in Ellsworth, ME. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,720 in Ellsworth, ME, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ellsworth, ME. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Ellsworth, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.