Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Freehold, NJ and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,635 in Freehold, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Freehold, NJ
Learn more

Freehold, NJ Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Freehold, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,635

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,635 per month in Freehold, NJ vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Freehold, NJ $2,635
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,842 per month in Freehold, NJ vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Freehold, NJ $3,842
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,050 per month in Freehold, NJ vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Freehold, NJ $5,050
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Freehold, NJ costs about 119% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Freehold, NJ sits 94% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.77 $19.77

$10.92 MX$204

81.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 $69.9

$43.37 MX$808

61.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.33 $11.33

$11.78 MX$220

-3.82%

Cappuccino

$4.47 $4.47

$3.81 MX$71.0

17.32%

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

$2.30 $2.30

$1.28 MX$23.90

79.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.78 MX$14.59

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 $5.95

$3.17 MX$59.0

87.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.64 $6.64

$4.93 MX$92.0

34.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.41 MX$26.22

-25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.22 MX$41.33

57.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.42 MX$26.42

209.86%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.52 MX$47.03

62.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$7.26 MX$135

71.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 $11.61

$7.70 MX$143

50.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.79 $16.79

$12.69 MX$237

32.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.78 MX$51.9

79.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.37 MX$25.50

18.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.55 MX$47.55

65.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.12 MX$39.58

123.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.94 MX$36.13

46.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.89 MX$35.16

55.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.15 MX$21.37

91.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.18 MX$21.98

87.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 $9.91

$4.30 MX$80.1

130.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.95 MX$185

48.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.58 MX$29.52

27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.67 MX$49.79

27.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.55 MX$10.31

296.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 $65.8

$26.62 MX$496

147.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$4.97 MX$92.6

-38.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.33 MX$62.1

-40.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.38 $33.38

$5.36 MX$99.8

522.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.44 MX$26.92

-29.17%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

27.35%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

11.21%

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

$198 $198

$84.8 MX$1,581

133.25%

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

$59.3 $59.3

$23.41 MX$436

153.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.1 $70.1

$28.66 MX$534

144.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.50 $40.50

$57.1 MX$1,063

-29.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 $14.21

$5.14 MX$95.8

176.46%

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

$1,357 $1,357

$207 MX$3,851

557.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

507.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$43.35 MX$808

20.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.24 $41.24

$41.44 MX$772

-0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$74.2 MX$1,383

18.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$89.3 MX$1,664

26.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 $1,590

$980 MX$18.3K

62.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$381 MX$7,099

245.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,513 $2,513

$1,708 MX$31.8K

47.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,174 $2,174

$1,075 MX$20.0K

102.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,800 $2,800

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-28.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,308 $2,308

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-62.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,850 $3,850

$735 MX$13.7K

424.18%

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 Freehold, 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

Freehold, NJ

$1.3K 49.9%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 71.1% $935

Groceries & Markets

Freehold, NJ

$397 15.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 35.8% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Freehold, NJ

$327 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 58.2% $190

Eating Out

Freehold, NJ

$306 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 33.8% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Freehold, NJ

$133 5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 15.9% $21

Getting Around

Freehold, NJ

$87 3.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 42.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Freehold, NJ

$69 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 2.3% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,590 in Freehold, NJ 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 Freehold, NJ are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70 in Freehold, NJ versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Freehold, NJ

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:39 4:39 PM

15:39 3:39 PM

1 h behind Freehold, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,394

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 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 = 0.898 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Freehold, NJ Playa del Carmen 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Freehold, 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

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

Yes – Freehold, NJ is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,952 per month in Freehold, NJ 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 $1,590 in Freehold, NJ.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,635 in Freehold, NJ and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 54% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 60% 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 Freehold, NJ at $2,635. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Freehold, NJ 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, Freehold, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.