Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,600 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,711 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,821 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 101% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Knoxville, TN is 94% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$11.73 MX$205

54.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.9 $85.9

$41.62 MX$727

106.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 $9.93

$10.64 MX$186

-6.67%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$3.52 MX$61.5

63.92%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$1.51 MX$26.37

64.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$0.97 MX$17.00

141.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 $6.53

$2.95 MX$51.5

121.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 $6.42

$4.45 MX$77.8

44.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.38 MX$24.16

-25.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.89 MX$33.04

94.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.64 MX$28.59

143.29%

Eggs

$3.82 $3.82

$2.51 MX$43.76

52.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 $10.12

$8.34 MX$146

21.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.34 MX$146

6.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 $15.53

$10.73 MX$187

44.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$2.60 MX$45.48

149.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.46 MX$25.45

-3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.90 MX$33.19

42.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$2.08 MX$36.26

160.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.78 MX$31.01

23.60%

Onion (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.19 MX$38.16

108.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.04 MX$18.16

122.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.08 MX$18.80

104.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.71 $8.71

$4.08 MX$71.3

113.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.32 MX$180

46.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.71 MX$29.90

5.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.58 MX$44.98

11.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.51 MX$8.90

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.19 $30.19

$26.46 MX$462

14.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.26 MX$57.0

49.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.49 MX$43.51

-39.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.13 $30.13

$3.25 MX$56.7

827.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.31 MX$22.83

-37.40%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

-1.35%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

11.91%

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

$238 $238

$82.9 MX$1,447

187.49%

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

$53.8 $53.8

$22.22 MX$388

142.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$29.34 MX$512

131.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.24 $34.24

$51.6 MX$902

-33.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.24 $25.24

$18.32 MX$320

37.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 $14.69

$5.07 MX$88.5

189.74%

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

$1,124 $1,124

$201 MX$3,507

459.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K $20.5K

$5,212 MX$91.0K

293.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 $54.4

$36.92 MX$645

47.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 $61.2

$39.79 MX$695

53.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$78.5 MX$1,370

38.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$87.1 MX$1,521

38.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$973 MX$17.0K

74.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$468 MX$8,169

172.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,167 $3,167

$1,641 MX$28.7K

92.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 $1,803

$1,221 MX$21.3K

47.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,783 $4,783

$3,946 MX$68.9K

21.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,225 $2,225

$6,498 MX$113.5K

-65.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,571 $3,571

$664 MX$11.6K

437.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

11.42

-42.29%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,693 in Knoxville, TN and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 438% 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: $86.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 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

Knoxville, TN vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 101% lower than in Knoxville, TN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Knoxville, TN pays 438% more on average, 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: $1,693 in Knoxville, TN versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Knoxville, TN. 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 $86.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,600 in Knoxville, TN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Knoxville, TN. 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 $1,297 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 101% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.