Cost of Living Comparison Between Farmington, NM and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Farmington, NM and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,165 in Farmington, NM versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,472 in Farmington, NM versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,779 in Farmington, NM versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Farmington, NM is roughly 151% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Farmington, NM is 136% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.33 $19.33

$11.67 MX$202

65.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 $74.4

$41.88 MX$726

77.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 $11.08

$10.40 MX$180

6.54%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$3.61 MX$62.6

40.72%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.47 MX$25.45

76.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.91 MX$15.80

124.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$3.03 MX$52.6

99.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 $6.88

$4.47 MX$77.4

53.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.38 MX$23.83

-28.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.84 MX$31.93

89.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.61 MX$27.82

175.16%

Eggs

$4.30 $4.30

$2.57 MX$44.52

67.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$8.49 MX$147

46.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.58 $11.58

$8.49 MX$147

36.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.57 $15.57

$10.99 MX$190

41.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.73 MX$47.25

83.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.50 MX$25.92

4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.96 MX$33.93

113.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$2.12 MX$36.70

118.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.86 MX$32.30

55.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.17 MX$37.67

31.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.07 MX$18.59

86.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.05 MX$18.18

100.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.46 $9.46

$4.19 MX$72.6

125.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$10.28 MX$178

44.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.67 MX$28.87

7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.49 MX$43.12

33.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.54 MX$9.37

264.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.71 $29.71

$26.27 MX$455

13.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.10 MX$53.8

15.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.46 MX$42.66

-33.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.21 $29.21

$3.24 MX$56.1

801.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.26 MX$21.83

-28.57%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-2.99%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

9.12%

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

$191 $191

$84.0 MX$1,456

127.34%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$22.21 MX$385

134.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$29.65 MX$514

124.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.25 $43.25

$52.6 MX$912

-17.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$13.58 $13.58

$4.95 MX$85.7

174.34%

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

$1,308 $1,308

$198 MX$3,438

559.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

346.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 $52.0

$35.95 MX$623

44.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.40 $39.40

$40.06 MX$694

-1.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 $85.6

$78.8 MX$1,365

8.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$86.5 MX$1,499

31.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 $2,017

$977 MX$16.9K

106.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 $1,959

$471 MX$8,158

316.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,091 $3,091

$1,595 MX$27.6K

93.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,097 $3,097

$1,215 MX$21.1K

154.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,024 $2,024

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-49.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,401 $2,401

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-63.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,275 $7,275

$714 MX$12.4K

918.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.42

-42.99%

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

Last update for Farmington, NM: April 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,017 in Farmington, NM and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farmington, NM pays 919% 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: $74 in Farmington, NM vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

Farmington, NM vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 151% lower than in Farmington, NM. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Farmington, NM pays 919% more on average, 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: $2,017 in Farmington, NM versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,308 in Farmington, NM versus $198 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 55% higher in Farmington, NM. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,165 in Farmington, NM, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Farmington, NM. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Farmington, NM. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.