Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,106 in Killeen, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Killeen, TX
Learn more

Killeen, TX Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Killeen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,106

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,106 in Killeen, TX versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Killeen, TX $2,106
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Killeen, TX versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Killeen, TX $3,276
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Killeen, TX versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Killeen, TX $4,447
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Killeen, TX is roughly 75% 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: Killeen, TX is 55% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 $20.34

$10.86 MX$201

87.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.3 $65.3

$44.21 MX$817

47.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 $11.77

$11.76 MX$217

0.09%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$3.68 MX$68.0

47.55%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$1.34 MX$24.79

117.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.82 MX$15.24

128.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$3.06 MX$56.6

65.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 $5.78

$4.94 MX$91.2

17.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.47 MX$27.17

-29.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.22 MX$40.95

3.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.48 MX$27.32

222.30%

Eggs

$3.99 $3.99

$2.49 MX$45.99

60.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 $8.67

$7.52 MX$139

15.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$7.96 MX$147

39.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.15 $18.15

$12.57 MX$232

44.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$2.78 MX$51.3

106.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.43 MX$26.37

-34.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.62 MX$48.37

92.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$2.14 MX$39.49

92.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.02 MX$37.38

18.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.99 MX$36.74

44.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.14 MX$21.01

68.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.20 MX$22.18

137.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.03 $6.03

$4.26 MX$78.7

41.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 $11.73

$10.02 MX$185

17.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.54 MX$28.41

35.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.66 MX$49.17

-31.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.9 $72.9

$27.51 MX$508

164.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.90 MX$90.6

-37.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 $1.79

$3.43 MX$63.5

-47.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.76 $14.76

$5.38 MX$99.4

174.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.45 MX$26.76

-35.86%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

69.32%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

4.92%

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

$191 $191

$85.4 MX$1,577

123.43%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$23.46 MX$434

147.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.6 $66.6

$28.43 MX$525

134.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.01 $23.01

$62.2 MX$1,149

-63.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 $12.96

$5.10 MX$94.3

154.12%

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

$2,090 $2,090

$201 MX$3,715

939.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

508.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.16 $38.16

$44.39 MX$820

-14.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.71 $19.71

$41.35 MX$764

-52.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 $63.4

$72.7 MX$1,344

-12.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.3 $64.3

$89.6 MX$1,656

-28.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 $1,010

$979 MX$18.1K

3.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 $882

$373 MX$6,887

136.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 $1,553

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-7.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,791 $1,791

$1,095 MX$20.2K

63.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,747 $1,747

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-55.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,758 $1,758

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-71.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,303 $3,303

$738 MX$13.6K

347.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

11.45

-41.40%

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

Last update for Killeen, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Killeen, TX

$882 41.9%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 57.7% $509

Groceries & Markets

Killeen, TX

$372 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 30.6% $114

Eating Out

Killeen, TX

$319 15.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 37.3% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Killeen, TX

$315 15%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 56.5% $178

Getting Around

Killeen, TX

$85 * 4%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 39.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Killeen, TX

$83 4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 33.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Killeen, TX

$49 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 48% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,010 in Killeen, TX and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Killeen, TX pays 348% 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: $65.0 in Killeen, TX vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Killeen, TX

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

Same time as Killeen, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,095

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Killeen, TX Playa del Carmen 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Killeen, TX
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

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

Killeen, TX and Playa del Carmen differ by about 75% in total monthly costs ($2,106 vs $1,204 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 348% higher in Killeen, 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: $1,010 in Killeen, TX versus $979 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 165% less than in Killeen, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,090 in Killeen, TX versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,106 in Killeen, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Killeen, TX. 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 75% less than in Killeen, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.