Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Joliet, IL and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,650 in Joliet, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Joliet, IL
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Joliet, IL Living Index
57

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

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Joliet, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,650

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,650 in Joliet, IL versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Joliet, IL $2,650
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,870 in Joliet, IL versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Joliet, IL $3,870
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,090 in Joliet, IL versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Joliet, IL $5,090
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Joliet, IL is roughly 120% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Joliet, IL is 96% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.17 $19.17

$10.67 MX$200

79.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$43.80 MX$823

71.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.78 $10.78

$11.79 MX$221

-8.57%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$3.79 MX$71.1

36.15%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$1.30 MX$24.36

100.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.83 MX$15.65

144.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.15 MX$59.1

92.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$4.93 MX$92.7

38.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.41 MX$26.46

-25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.20 MX$41.23

55.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.47 MX$27.66

193.88%

Eggs

$4.06 $4.06

$2.50 MX$46.89

62.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.49 $12.49

$7.29 MX$137

71.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 $11.63

$7.95 MX$149

46.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 $15.68

$12.86 MX$242

21.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.90 MX$54.4

67.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.38 MX$25.98

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.49 MX$46.78

74.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.03 MX$38.12

125.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.02 MX$38.03

40.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.90 MX$35.74

51.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.14 MX$21.49

76.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.24 MX$23.27

70.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.40 $9.40

$4.27 MX$80.2

120.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.28 $14.28

$9.81 MX$184

45.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.59 MX$29.78

16.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.75 MX$51.6

21.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.51 MX$9.67

284.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.7 $60.7

$27.39 MX$514

121.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$4.76 MX$89.4

-24.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.25 MX$61.0

-49.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.67 $28.67

$5.39 MX$101

431.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.53 MX$28.70

-42.48%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$21.2K MX$398.4K

37.86%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$23.3K MX$436.9K

9.83%

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

$185 $185

$83.5 MX$1,568

122.09%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$23.19 MX$435

126.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.4 $66.4

$27.61 MX$519

140.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.26 $43.26

$56.4 MX$1,060

-23.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 $13.74

$5.00 MX$93.9

174.80%

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

$1,298 $1,298

$207 MX$3,889

526.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$5,231 MX$98.2K

348.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$43.45 MX$816

17.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$42.54 MX$799

-7.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 $87.6

$72.8 MX$1,367

20.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$88.4 MX$1,660

27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 $1,573

$995 MX$18.7K

58.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 $1,366

$382 MX$7,181

257.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,618 $2,618

$1,674 MX$31.4K

56.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 $2,247

$1,081 MX$20.3K

107.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,809 $2,809

$3,909 MX$73.4K

-28.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,462 $2,462

$6,138 MX$115.3K

-59.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.45

-43.14%

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

Last update for Joliet, IL: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Joliet, IL

$1.4K 51.6%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 72% $984

Groceries & Markets

Joliet, IL

$387 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 33.5% $130

Eating Out

Joliet, IL

$310 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 35.4% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Joliet, IL

$304 11.5%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 55.9% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Joliet, IL

$131 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 14.9% $19

Getting Around

Joliet, IL

$80 3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 37.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Joliet, IL

$71 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 6.1% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Joliet, IL and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75 in Joliet, IL vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Joliet, IL

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:19 5:19 AM

06:19 6:19 AM

1 h ahead of Joliet, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,362

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Joliet, IL Playa del Carmen 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Joliet, IL
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

Joliet, IL vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,650 in Joliet, IL and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, so Playa del Carmen is about 55% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,974 in Joliet, IL and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,573 in Joliet, IL versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 55% less than in Joliet, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,298 in Joliet, IL versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,650 in Joliet, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Joliet, IL. 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 55% less than in Joliet, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.