Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jamestown, ND and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,578 in Jamestown, ND, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Jamestown, ND
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Jamestown, ND Living Index
58

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

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Jamestown, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,578

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,578 in Jamestown, ND versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Jamestown, ND $2,578
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,748 in Jamestown, ND versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Jamestown, ND $3,748
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,919 in Jamestown, ND versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Jamestown, ND $4,919
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Jamestown, ND is roughly 114% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Jamestown, ND is 89% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.07 $22.07

$10.92 MX$204

102.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 $67.2

$43.37 MX$808

54.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.78 MX$220

2.89%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$3.81 MX$71.0

37.80%

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

$2.40 $2.40

$1.28 MX$23.90

87.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.78 MX$14.59

178.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.17 MX$59.0

65.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$4.93 MX$92.0

49.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.41 MX$26.22

-42.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.22 MX$41.33

56.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.42 MX$26.42

200.70%

Eggs

$4.07 $4.07

$2.52 MX$47.03

61.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 $11.40

$7.26 MX$135

57.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 $10.24

$7.70 MX$143

32.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.79 $16.79

$12.69 MX$237

32.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.78 MX$51.9

76.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.37 MX$25.50

20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.55 MX$47.55

87.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.12 MX$39.58

137.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.94 MX$36.13

40.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.89 MX$35.16

72.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.15 MX$21.37

91.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.18 MX$21.98

61.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.06 $9.06

$4.30 MX$80.1

110.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.91 $12.91

$9.95 MX$185

29.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.58 MX$29.52

22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.67 MX$49.79

16.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.55 MX$10.31

290.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 $61.9

$26.62 MX$496

132.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$4.97 MX$92.6

-38.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.33 MX$62.1

-51.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.20 $26.20

$5.36 MX$99.8

388.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.44 MX$26.92

-34.03%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

25.69%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

27.68%

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

$201 $201

$84.8 MX$1,581

136.88%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$23.41 MX$436

147.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$28.66 MX$534

139.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.40 $36.40

$57.1 MX$1,063

-36.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 $13.11

$5.14 MX$95.8

155.06%

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

$1,516 $1,516

$207 MX$3,851

634.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

560.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 $52.2

$43.35 MX$808

20.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.82 $42.82

$41.44 MX$772

3.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 $89.8

$74.2 MX$1,383

21.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$89.3 MX$1,664

13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 $1,533

$980 MX$18.3K

56.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 $1,263

$381 MX$7,099

231.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 $2,517

$1,708 MX$31.8K

47.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 $2,062

$1,075 MX$20.0K

91.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,240 $3,240

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-17.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,060 $2,060

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-66.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,079 $3,079

$735 MX$13.7K

319.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.45

-42.62%

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

Last update for Jamestown, ND: 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

Jamestown, ND

$1.3K 49%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 69.9% $882

Groceries & Markets

Jamestown, ND

$379 14.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 32.8% $124

Eating Out

Jamestown, ND

$335 13%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 39.6% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jamestown, ND

$328 12.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 58.2% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Jamestown, ND

$129 5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 13.3% $17

Getting Around

Jamestown, ND

$82 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 38.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Jamestown, ND

$63 2.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 7.5% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,533 in Jamestown, ND and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jamestown, ND pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Jamestown, ND vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jamestown, ND

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:14 5:14 PM

Same time as Jamestown, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Jamestown, ND Playa del Carmen 3,110 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Jamestown, ND
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

Jamestown, ND vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Jamestown, ND is about 4.2 times higher, 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: $1,533 in Jamestown, ND versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $67 in Jamestown, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,578 per month in Jamestown, ND versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,578 in Jamestown, ND, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Jamestown, ND. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Jamestown, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.