Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $32,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index
58

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

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Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,894

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Fort Lee, NJ $3,894
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,154 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Fort Lee, NJ $6,154
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,415 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Fort Lee, NJ $8,415
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Fort Lee, NJ is roughly 223% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort Lee, NJ is 186% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$10.92 MX$204

129.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$43.37 MX$810

87.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 $10.95

$11.78 MX$220

-7.05%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.81 MX$71.2

40.42%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$1.28 MX$23.96

71.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.78 MX$14.63

94.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.17 MX$59.2

158.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$4.93 MX$92.2

62.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.41 MX$26.28

-5.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.22 MX$41.43

72.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$1.42 MX$26.48

378.17%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$2.52 MX$47.14

83.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$7.26 MX$136

72.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$7.70 MX$144

54.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 $17.50

$12.69 MX$237

37.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.78 MX$52.0

96.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.37 MX$25.56

29.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$2.55 MX$47.66

145.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$2.12 MX$39.67

155.66%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.94 MX$36.22

109.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.89 MX$35.24

107.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.15 MX$21.42

152.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.18 MX$22.03

131.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

$4.30 MX$80.3

173.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 $11.86

$9.95 MX$186

19.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.58 MX$29.59

8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.67 MX$49.91

-23.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$0.55 MX$10.34

392.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 $135

$26.62 MX$497

406.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$4.97 MX$92.9

-39.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.33 MX$62.2

-36.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$5.36 MX$100

350.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.44 MX$26.98

-40.28%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$20.7K MX$386.2K

33.52%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$23.5K MX$438.5K

12.74%

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

$215 $215

$84.8 MX$1,584

153.99%

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

$75.8 $75.8

$23.41 MX$437

223.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$28.66 MX$535

123.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$127 $127

$57.1 MX$1,066

122.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$540

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$5.14 MX$96.0

183.07%

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

$2,027 $2,027

$207 MX$3,860

881.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$3,927 MX$73.4K

505.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.93 $41.93

$43.35 MX$810

-3.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$41.44 MX$774

39.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 $77.6

$74.2 MX$1,386

4.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 $84.5

$89.3 MX$1,668

-5.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,927 $2,927

$980 MX$18.3K

198.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 $2,299

$381 MX$7,116

503.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,548 $6,548

$1,708 MX$31.9K

283.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,918 $4,918

$1,075 MX$20.1K

357.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,299 $4,299

$3,943 MX$73.7K

9.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 $3,727

$6,158 MX$115.1K

-39.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,606 $6,606

$735 MX$13.7K

799.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

11.45

-41.05%

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

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 27, 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

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 83.4% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lee, NJ

$438 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 41.8% $183

Eating Out

Fort Lee, NJ

$369 9.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 45.2% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lee, NJ

$355 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 61.5% $218

Getting Around

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 68.3% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 56.8% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lee, NJ

$118 3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 5.1% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays about 9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $81 in Fort Lee, NJ vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

1 h behind Fort Lee, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,008

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fort Lee, NJ Playa del Carmen 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort Lee, NJ
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

Fort Lee, NJ vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Fort Lee, NJ is about 9 times higher, 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: $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,894 per month in Fort Lee, NJ versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 223% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 80% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fort Lee, NJ. 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 69% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.