Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, TX and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, TX and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,615 in Houston, TX versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,989 in Houston, TX versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,363 in Houston, TX versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Houston, TX is roughly 107% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Houston, TX is 94% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$11.61 MX$201

70.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$42.75 MX$742

89.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.09 $10.09

$10.60 MX$184

-4.81%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$3.59 MX$62.3

54.32%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$1.45 MX$25.21

88.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.90 MX$15.58

137.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.03 MX$52.6

99.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.56 MX$79.2

53.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.45 MX$25.20

-35.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.83 MX$31.72

71.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.61 MX$27.92

123.60%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.54 MX$44.05

64.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 $12.71

$8.54 MX$148

48.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.97 $11.97

$8.47 MX$147

41.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.55 $17.55

$10.86 MX$189

61.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.73 MX$47.37

54.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.49 MX$25.91

-6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.94 MX$33.73

106.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.16 MX$37.57

20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.85 MX$32.05

50.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.19 MX$38.00

4.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.07 MX$18.62

73.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.08 MX$18.81

108.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.80 $9.80

$4.06 MX$70.5

141.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 $12.43

$10.46 MX$182

18.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.65 MX$28.71

21.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.55 MX$44.23

49.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.56 MX$9.65

128.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.7 $73.7

$26.20 MX$455

181.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.14 MX$54.5

21.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.37 MX$41.17

-19.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.52 $30.52

$3.24 MX$56.2

841.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.31 MX$22.81

-40.46%

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

$32.4K $32.4K

$30.5K MX$530.2K

6.16%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$23.8K MX$413.6K

8.27%

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

$197 $197

$83.1 MX$1,443

136.67%

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

$62.3 $62.3

$22.15 MX$385

181.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$29.37 MX$510

120.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.32 $38.32

$51.2 MX$889

-25.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.96 $10.96

$18.69 MX$324

-41.36%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 $15.13

$4.89 MX$84.9

209.41%

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

$1,272 $1,272

$199 MX$3,449

540.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K $19.3K

$5,207 MX$90.4K

270.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.67 $45.67

$35.93 MX$624

27.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.09 $44.09

$39.39 MX$684

11.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 $98.0

$80.3 MX$1,394

22.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$87.6 MX$1,520

42.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$963 MX$16.7K

70.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$482 MX$8,370

163.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,061 $3,061

$1,645 MX$28.6K

86.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,413 $2,413

$1,192 MX$20.7K

102.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,525 $2,525

$3,957 MX$68.7K

-36.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,920 $1,920

$6,513 MX$113.1K

-70.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,608 $4,608

$726 MX$12.6K

534.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

11.42

-43.61%

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

Last update for Houston, TX: April 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,643 in Houston, TX and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houston, TX pays 534% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81 in Houston, TX vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $253 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

Houston, TX vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Houston, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Houston, TX pays 534% more on average, 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: $1,643 in Houston, TX versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Houston, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $81.0 in Houston, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,615 in Houston, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Houston, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,262 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Houston, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.