Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,576 in Knoxville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Knoxville, TN
Learn more

Knoxville, TN Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,576

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,576 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Knoxville, TN $2,576
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,786 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Knoxville, TN $3,786
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,997 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Knoxville, TN $4,997
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 114% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Knoxville, TN is 90% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 $17.71

$10.86 MX$201

63.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$44.21 MX$817

68.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 $9.86

$11.76 MX$217

-16.16%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$3.68 MX$68.0

46.20%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$1.34 MX$24.79

111.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$0.82 MX$15.24

235.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 $6.36

$3.06 MX$56.6

107.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 $6.60

$4.94 MX$91.2

33.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.47 MX$27.17

-27.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.22 MX$40.95

56.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.48 MX$27.32

208.11%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$2.49 MX$45.99

79.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$7.52 MX$139

34.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 $9.22

$7.96 MX$147

15.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$12.57 MX$232

18.62%

Apples (1kg)

$7.04 $7.04

$2.78 MX$51.3

153.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.43 MX$26.37

8.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.62 MX$48.37

9.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$2.14 MX$39.49

160.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.02 MX$37.38

6.93%

Onion (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.99 MX$36.74

119.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.14 MX$21.01

95.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.20 MX$22.18

82.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.26 MX$78.7

111.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$10.02 MX$185

52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.54 MX$28.41

24.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.66 MX$49.17

18.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.53 MX$9.73

92.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.58 $29.58

$27.51 MX$508

7.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$4.90 MX$90.6

4.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.43 MX$63.5

-55.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.87 $29.87

$5.38 MX$99.4

455.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.45 MX$26.76

-30.34%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

31.70%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

18.53%

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

$223 $223

$85.4 MX$1,577

161.60%

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

$74.4 $74.4

$23.46 MX$434

217.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 $53.1

$28.43 MX$525

86.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.37 $29.37

$62.2 MX$1,149

-52.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.90 $21.90

$28.68 MX$530

-23.64%

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 $15.20

$5.10 MX$94.3

198.04%

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

$1,246 $1,246

$201 MX$3,715

519.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

520.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$44.39 MX$820

14.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.53 $45.53

$41.35 MX$764

10.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$72.7 MX$1,344

53.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$89.6 MX$1,656

37.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,811 $1,811

$979 MX$18.1K

84.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$373 MX$6,887

244.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 $2,901

$1,681 MX$31.1K

72.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,144 $2,144

$1,095 MX$20.2K

95.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,681 $4,681

$3,949 MX$73.0K

18.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 $2,243

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-63.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 $3,622

$738 MX$13.6K

391.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

11.45

-42.01%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 18, 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

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.8%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 71% $911

Groceries & Markets

Knoxville, TN

$383 14.9%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 32.5% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Knoxville, TN

$351 13.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 60.9% $214

Eating Out

Knoxville, TN

$303 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 33.9% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Knoxville, TN

$149 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 25.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 21.1% $13

Getting Around

Knoxville, TN

$46 1.8%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 11.7% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,811 in Knoxville, TN and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 391% 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: $75.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

05:20 5:20 AM

1 h behind Knoxville, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,740

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

Knoxville, TN Playa del Carmen 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Knoxville, TN
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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 114% 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.

Average pay runs 391% higher in Knoxville, TN, 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: $1,811 in Knoxville, TN versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% 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 $44.00 versus $75.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,576 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 $1,204 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 114% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.