Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houma, LA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,071 in Houma, LA, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Houma, LA
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Houma, LA Living Index
58

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

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Houma, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,071

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,071 per month in Houma, LA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Houma, LA $2,071
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,003 per month in Houma, LA vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Houma, LA $3,003
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,936 per month in Houma, LA vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Houma, LA $3,936
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Houma, LA costs about 72% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Houma, LA sits 52% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$10.92 MX$204

81.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.72 $49.72

$43.37 MX$810

14.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 $12.16

$11.78 MX$220

3.23%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$3.81 MX$71.2

40.94%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$1.28 MX$23.96

67.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.78 MX$14.63

111.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 $3.09

$3.17 MX$59.2

-2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 $4.93

$4.93 MX$92.2

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.41 MX$26.28

-19.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.22 MX$41.43

76.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.42 MX$26.48

259.15%

Eggs

$1.72 $1.72

$2.52 MX$47.14

-31.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$7.26 MX$136

40.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.26 $10.26

$7.70 MX$144

33.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$12.69 MX$237

20.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$2.78 MX$52.0

89.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.37 MX$25.56

-5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$2.55 MX$47.66

108.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$2.12 MX$39.67

90.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.94 MX$36.22

6.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.89 MX$35.24

66.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.15 MX$21.42

69.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.18 MX$22.03

115.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$4.30 MX$80.3

100.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.87 $12.87

$9.95 MX$186

29.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.58 MX$29.59

56.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.67 MX$49.91

43.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 $3.45

$4.97 MX$92.9

-30.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.33 MX$62.2

-56.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.46 $34.46

$5.36 MX$100

542.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.44 MX$26.98

-38.19%

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

$33.0K $33.0K

$20.7K MX$386.2K

59.76%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$23.5K MX$438.5K

12.14%

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

$151 $151

$84.8 MX$1,584

77.95%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$23.41 MX$437

207.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.11 $47.11

$28.66 MX$535

64.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.18 $27.18

$57.1 MX$1,066

-52.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$540

Cinema Ticket

$12.32 $12.32

$5.14 MX$96.0

139.69%

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

$1,553 $1,553

$207 MX$3,860

652.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K $10.4K

$3,927 MX$73.4K

165.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 $56.2

$43.35 MX$810

29.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.54 $43.54

$41.44 MX$774

5.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 $85.4

$74.2 MX$1,386

15.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$89.3 MX$1,668

34.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,043 $1,043

$980 MX$18.3K

6.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$924 $924

$381 MX$7,116

142.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,564 $1,564

$1,708 MX$31.9K

-8.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$1,075 MX$20.1K

34.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,438 $1,438

$3,943 MX$73.7K

-63.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,483 $1,483

$6,158 MX$115.1K

-75.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,802 $3,802

$735 MX$13.7K

417.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-65.07%

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

Last update for Houma, LA: October 25, 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

Houma, LA

$924 44.6%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 58.8% $543

Groceries & Markets

Houma, LA

$378 18.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 32.5% $123

Eating Out

Houma, LA

$300 14.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 32.6% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houma, LA

$270 13%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 49.3% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Houma, LA

$137 6.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 18.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Houma, LA

$52 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 29.9% $16

Getting Around

Houma, LA

$11 * 0.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 372% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,043 in Houma, LA 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 Houma, LA are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Houma, LA versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houma, LA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

Same time as Houma, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,657

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

Houma, LA Playa del Carmen 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Houma, LA
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

Houma, LA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Houma, LA is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,107 per month in Houma, LA and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,043 in Houma, LA and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,071 in Houma, LA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 72%.

Kindergarten costs $1,553 per month in Houma, LA and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing 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 Houma, LA at $2,071. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Houma, LA 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Houma, LA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.