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: $2,558 in Houston, TX versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,002 in Houston, TX versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,445 in Houston, TX versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Houston, TX is roughly 104% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Houston, TX is 92% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.76 $19.76

$11.99 MX$209

64.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$41.78 MX$728

87.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$10.75 MX$187

-8.00%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$3.50 MX$60.9

55.14%

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

$2.75 $2.75

$1.45 MX$25.22

89.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.88 MX$15.41

138.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.95 MX$51.3

106.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$4.51 MX$78.6

56.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.43 MX$24.94

-34.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.84 MX$31.99

61.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.57 MX$27.31

121.02%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$2.51 MX$43.74

64.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$8.28 MX$144

56.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$8.43 MX$147

41.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$10.68 MX$186

64.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.61 MX$45.43

63.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.44 MX$25.04

-6.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.96 MX$34.16

95.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.09 MX$36.47

19.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.85 MX$32.24

52.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.17 MX$37.74

8.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.03 MX$17.96

80.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.07 MX$18.70

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.82 $9.82

$4.10 MX$71.4

139.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 $14.59

$10.17 MX$177

43.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.68 MX$29.17

20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.53 MX$43.98

51.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.51 MX$8.87

149.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 $74.3

$26.04 MX$453

185.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.23 MX$56.3

18.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.41 MX$41.88

-23.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.85 $29.85

$3.23 MX$56.2

824.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.32 MX$23.00

-41.67%

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

$32.4K $32.4K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

9.03%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

8.37%

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

$196 $196

$82.0 MX$1,428

138.42%

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

$63.4 $63.4

$22.95 MX$400

176.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.2 $65.2

$30.11 MX$524

116.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.15 $38.15

$52.0 MX$905

-26.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.97 $10.97

$18.53 MX$323

-40.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.96 $14.96

$4.98 MX$86.6

200.40%

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

$1,268 $1,268

$197 MX$3,438

542.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K $19.3K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

261.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.52 $46.52

$35.60 MX$620

30.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.79 $43.79

$40.33 MX$702

8.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 $96.4

$78.8 MX$1,371

22.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$88.9 MX$1,549

39.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,650 $1,650

$947 MX$16.5K

74.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$474 MX$8,254

168.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,073 $3,073

$1,644 MX$28.6K

86.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,437 $2,437

$1,211 MX$21.1K

101.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,504 $2,504

$4,056 MX$70.6K

-38.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,869 $1,869

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-71.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,393 $4,393

$654 MX$11.4K

571.79%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,650 in Houston, TX and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houston, TX pays 572% 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: $79.0 in Houston, TX vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $249 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 104% 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.

Average pay runs 572% higher in Houston, TX, 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: $1,650 in Houston, TX versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% 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 $42.00 versus $79.0 in Houston, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,558 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 $1,256 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 104% less than in Houston, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.