Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jackson, MS and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,025 in Jackson, MS, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Jackson, MS
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Jackson, MS Living Index
58

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

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Jackson, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,025

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,025 per month in Jackson, MS vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Jackson, MS $2,025
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,848 per month in Jackson, MS vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Jackson, MS $2,848
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,672 per month in Jackson, MS vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Jackson, MS $3,672
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Jackson, MS costs about 68% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Jackson, MS sits 49% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.53 $17.53

$10.92 MX$205

60.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 $60.3

$43.37 MX$813

38.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 $9.55

$11.78 MX$221

-18.93%

Cappuccino

$4.31 $4.31

$3.81 MX$71.4

13.12%

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

$1.64 $1.64

$1.28 MX$24.03

28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.78 MX$14.67

107.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.17 MX$59.3

28.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.93 MX$92.5

-17.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.41 MX$26.35

-35.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.22 MX$41.54

36.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.42 MX$26.56

180.99%

Eggs

$3.78 $3.78

$2.52 MX$47.27

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.46 $8.46

$7.26 MX$136

16.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$7.70 MX$144

44.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$12.69 MX$238

-45.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.69 $5.69

$2.78 MX$52.2

104.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.37 MX$25.64

-19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.55 MX$47.80

-43.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.12 MX$39.78

132.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.94 MX$36.32

59.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.89 MX$35.34

6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.15 MX$21.49

31.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.18 MX$22.09

88.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.32 $8.32

$4.30 MX$80.5

93.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.95 MX$186

30.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.58 MX$29.67

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.67 MX$50.1

-40.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.55 MX$10.37

169.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.81 $42.81

$26.62 MX$499

60.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 $2.06

$4.97 MX$93.1

-58.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$3.33 MX$62.4

-58.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.85 $18.85

$5.36 MX$100

251.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.44 MX$27.06

-31.94%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$20.7K MX$387.3K

30.84%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$23.5K MX$439.7K

12.11%

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

$185 $185

$84.8 MX$1,589

117.62%

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

$54.9 $54.9

$23.41 MX$439

134.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 $73.1

$28.66 MX$537

154.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.45 $48.45

$57.1 MX$1,069

-15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 $16.20

$28.91 MX$542

-43.96%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 $12.96

$5.14 MX$96.3

152.14%

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

$606 $606

$207 MX$3,871

193.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$3,927 MX$73.6K

524.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.61 $47.61

$43.35 MX$812

9.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.65 $22.65

$41.44 MX$777

-45.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 $83.8

$74.2 MX$1,390

12.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$89.3 MX$1,672

28.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$980 MX$18.4K

2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$875 $875

$381 MX$7,136

129.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 $2,049

$1,708 MX$32.0K

19.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 $1,189

$1,075 MX$20.1K

10.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,373 $1,373

$3,943 MX$73.9K

-65.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,121 $1,121

$6,158 MX$115.4K

-81.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,840 $2,840

$735 MX$13.8K

286.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.18

11.45

-46.03%

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

Last update for Jackson, MS: October 24, 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

Jackson, MS

$875 43.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 56.5% $495

Groceries & Markets

Jackson, MS

$322 15.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 20.9% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jackson, MS

$312 15.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 56.2% $176

Eating Out

Jackson, MS

$262 12.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 22.8% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Jackson, MS

$121 6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 7.5% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Jackson, MS

$74 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 9.5% $7.1

Getting Around

Jackson, MS

$58 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 12.6% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,005 in Jackson, MS 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 Jackson, MS are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Jackson, MS versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jackson, MS

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:54 6:54 PM

19:54 7:54 PM

1 h ahead of Jackson, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,701

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 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 = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Jackson, MS Playa del Carmen 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Jackson, MS
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

Jackson, MS vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jackson, MS costs about 68% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,037 per month in Jackson, MS 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 $1,005 in Jackson, MS and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $606 per month in Jackson, MS 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 26% more in Jackson, MS, 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 $1,204, than in Jackson, MS at $2,025. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jackson, MS 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, Jackson, MS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.