Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gloucester, MA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,837 in Gloucester, MA, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Gloucester, MA
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Gloucester, MA Living Index
57

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

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Gloucester, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,837

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,837 per month in Gloucester, MA vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Gloucester, MA $2,837
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $4,132 per month in Gloucester, MA vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Gloucester, MA $4,132
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,426 per month in Gloucester, MA vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Gloucester, MA $5,426
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Gloucester, MA costs about 136% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Gloucester, MA sits 110% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.07 $19.07

$10.67 MX$198

78.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 $72.6

$43.80 MX$813

65.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.23 $11.23

$11.79 MX$219

-4.75%

Cappuccino

$4.62 $4.62

$3.79 MX$70.3

21.90%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$1.30 MX$24.09

79.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.83 MX$15.48

139.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.60 $6.60

$3.15 MX$58.4

109.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 $6.86

$4.93 MX$91.6

39.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.41 MX$26.16

-28.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.20 MX$40.77

60.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.47 MX$27.35

189.80%

Eggs

$4.07 $4.07

$2.50 MX$46.37

62.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.29 MX$135

69.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.76 $11.76

$7.95 MX$148

47.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.20 $17.20

$12.86 MX$239

33.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.90 MX$53.8

73.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.38 MX$25.69

21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.49 MX$46.26

75.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.03 MX$37.70

133.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.02 MX$37.61

38.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.90 MX$35.35

51.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.14 MX$21.25

92.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.24 MX$23.01

78.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.23 $10.23

$4.27 MX$79.3

139.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.81 MX$182

50.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.59 MX$29.45

30.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.75 MX$51.0

32.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.51 MX$9.56

301.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 $59.2

$27.39 MX$509

115.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.76 MX$88.4

-26.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.25 MX$60.3

-39.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.18 $34.18

$5.39 MX$100

534.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.53 MX$28.38

-26.80%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$21.2K MX$393.9K

44.50%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$23.3K MX$432.0K

27.39%

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

$198 $198

$83.5 MX$1,550

137.25%

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

$58.8 $58.8

$23.19 MX$431

153.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$27.61 MX$513

156.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.79 $40.79

$56.4 MX$1,048

-27.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$524

Cinema Ticket

$13.04 $13.04

$5.00 MX$92.9

160.80%

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

$1,307 $1,307

$207 MX$3,846

531.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K $18.5K

$5,231 MX$97.1K

254.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$43.45 MX$807

23.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.76 $41.76

$42.54 MX$790

-1.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 $148

$72.8 MX$1,351

103.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$88.4 MX$1,641

27.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,761 $1,761

$995 MX$18.5K

77.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 $1,496

$382 MX$7,102

291.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,041 $3,041

$1,674 MX$31.1K

81.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$1,081 MX$20.1K

130.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 $2,715

$3,909 MX$72.6K

-30.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,439 $2,439

$6,138 MX$114.0K

-60.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,429 $2,429

$832 MX$15.5K

191.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

11.45

-42.45%

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

Last update for Gloucester, MA: November 1, 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

Gloucester, MA

$1.5K 52.7%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 74.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Gloucester, MA

$399 14.1%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 35.5% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gloucester, MA

$328 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 59% $193

Eating Out

Gloucester, MA

$306 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 34.5% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Gloucester, MA

$161 5.7%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 30.7% $49

Getting Around

Gloucester, MA

$81 2.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 37.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Gloucester, MA

$67 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 0.6% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,761 in Gloucester, MA versus $995 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 Gloucester, MA are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $73 in Gloucester, MA versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Gloucester, MA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

Same time as Gloucester, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,729

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 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 November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Gloucester, MA Playa del Carmen 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Gloucester, MA
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

Gloucester, MA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gloucester, MA is pricier by about 136%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,255 per month in Gloucester, MA and $1,804 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 $995 there versus $1,761 in Gloucester, MA.

Kindergarten costs $1,307 per month in Gloucester, MA and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 55% more in Gloucester, MA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Gloucester, MA at $2,837. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gloucester, MA 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, Gloucester, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.