Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Great Falls, MT and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,215 in Great Falls, MT, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Great Falls, MT
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Great Falls, MT Living Index
59

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

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Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,215

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,215 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $2,215
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,051 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $3,051
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,887 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $3,887
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Great Falls, MT costs about 84% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Great Falls, MT sits 63% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.57 $11.57

$10.86 MX$201

6.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.01 $38.01

$44.21 MX$817

-14.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 $9.43

$11.76 MX$217

-19.81%

Cappuccino

$4.32 $4.32

$3.68 MX$68.0

17.39%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$1.34 MX$24.79

70.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.82 MX$15.24

139.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$3.06 MX$56.6

99.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 $5.92

$4.94 MX$91.2

19.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.47 MX$27.17

-26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.22 MX$40.95

48.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$1.48 MX$27.32

235.81%

Eggs

$3.22 $3.22

$2.49 MX$45.99

29.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$7.52 MX$139

122.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$7.96 MX$147

21.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 $12.30

$12.57 MX$232

-2.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.78 MX$51.3

79.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.43 MX$26.37

-6.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.62 MX$48.37

57.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.14 MX$39.49

1.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.02 MX$37.38

20.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.99 MX$36.74

40.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.14 MX$21.01

111.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.20 MX$22.18

181.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.44 $8.44

$4.26 MX$78.7

98.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.76 $17.76

$10.02 MX$185

77.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.54 MX$28.41

32.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.66 MX$49.17

64.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.60 $29.60

$27.51 MX$508

7.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.90 MX$90.6

30.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$3.43 MX$63.5

-59.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 $40.76

$5.38 MX$99.4

657.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.45 MX$26.76

-31.72%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

53.60%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

6.87%

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

$132 $132

$85.4 MX$1,577

54.46%

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

$40.11 $40.11

$23.46 MX$434

70.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 $70.0

$28.43 MX$525

146.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.5 $63.5

$62.2 MX$1,149

2.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 $11.71

$5.10 MX$94.3

129.61%

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

$903 $903

$201 MX$3,715

349.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K $14.2K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

259.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.83 $24.83

$44.39 MX$820

-44.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 $30.15

$41.35 MX$764

-27.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$72.7 MX$1,344

9.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 $64.9

$89.6 MX$1,656

-27.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 $1,433

$979 MX$18.1K

46.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 $1,131

$373 MX$6,887

203.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 $2,622

$1,681 MX$31.1K

55.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 $1,629

$1,095 MX$20.2K

48.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,209 $2,209

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-44.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,209 $2,209

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-64.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,583 $3,583

$738 MX$13.6K

385.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

11.45

-45.85%

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

Last update for Great Falls, MT: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Great Falls, MT

$1.1K 51.1%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 67% $758

Groceries & Markets

Great Falls, MT

$390 17.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 33.7% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Great Falls, MT

$242 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 43.3% $105

Eating Out

Great Falls, MT

$232 10.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 13.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Great Falls, MT

$90 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 24.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Great Falls, MT

$87 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 16.7% $15

Getting Around

Great Falls, MT

$43 * 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 20.4% $8.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,433 in Great Falls, MT versus $979 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 run about 386% higher in Great Falls, MT, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Great Falls, MT versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $390 in Great Falls, MT vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

1 h ahead of Great Falls, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,442

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Great Falls, MT Playa del Carmen 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Great Falls, MT
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

Great Falls, MT vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Great Falls, MT costs about 84% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,322 per month in Great Falls, MT 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Great Falls, MT, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Great Falls, MT and $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Great Falls, MT at $2,215. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Great Falls, MT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $2,215 in Great Falls, MT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Great Falls, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.