Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,593 in Libertyville, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Libertyville, IL
Learn more

Libertyville, IL Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Libertyville, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,593

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,593 in Libertyville, IL versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Libertyville, IL $2,593
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,784 in Libertyville, IL versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Libertyville, IL $3,784
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,976 in Libertyville, IL versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Libertyville, IL $4,976
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Libertyville, IL is roughly 116% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Libertyville, IL is 92% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.22 $15.22

$10.67 MX$199

42.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 $55.3

$43.80 MX$815

26.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.09 $10.09

$11.79 MX$219

-14.42%

Cappuccino

$4.51 $4.51

$3.79 MX$70.5

19.00%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$1.30 MX$24.14

69.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.83 MX$15.51

167.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.15 MX$58.6

44.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 $5.83

$4.93 MX$91.8

18.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.41 MX$26.22

-48.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.20 MX$40.86

44.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.47 MX$27.40

221.77%

Eggs

$4.78 $4.78

$2.50 MX$46.46

91.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 $11.04

$7.29 MX$136

51.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 $9.66

$7.95 MX$148

21.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.33 $22.33

$12.86 MX$239

73.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.90 MX$53.9

98.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.38 MX$25.74

-19.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.49 MX$46.35

85.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.03 MX$37.77

177.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.02 MX$37.68

77.23%

Onion (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$1.90 MX$35.42

127.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.14 MX$21.30

115.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.24 MX$23.05

-0.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.41 $11.41

$4.27 MX$79.5

167.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 $12.20

$9.81 MX$183

24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.59 MX$29.51

26.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.75 MX$51.1

24.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.51 MX$9.58

343.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.5 $58.5

$27.39 MX$510

113.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 $4.95

$4.76 MX$88.6

3.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.25 MX$60.5

-41.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.46 $49.46

$5.39 MX$100

817.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.53 MX$28.44

-33.99%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

29.98%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

13.95%

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

$260 $260

$83.5 MX$1,554

211.76%

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

$56.9 $56.9

$23.19 MX$431

145.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 $54.3

$27.61 MX$514

96.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.67 $35.67

$56.4 MX$1,050

-36.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 $14.99

$5.00 MX$93.1

199.80%

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

$1,307 $1,307

$207 MX$3,854

530.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K $15.7K

$5,231 MX$97.3K

199.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$43.45 MX$809

22.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.27 $40.27

$42.54 MX$792

-5.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$72.8 MX$1,354

49.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 $96.5

$88.4 MX$1,645

9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 $1,689

$995 MX$18.5K

69.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 $1,288

$382 MX$7,116

236.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,333 $2,333

$1,674 MX$31.2K

39.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,234 $2,234

$1,081 MX$20.1K

106.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,782 $2,782

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-28.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,298 $2,298

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-62.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,441 $4,441

$832 MX$15.5K

433.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

11.45

-41.83%

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

Last update for Libertyville, IL: November 2, 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

Libertyville, IL

$1.3K 49.7%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 70.3% $906

Groceries & Markets

Libertyville, IL

$393 15.2%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 34.5% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Libertyville, IL

$372 14.3%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 63.9% $237

Eating Out

Libertyville, IL

$258 10%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 22.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Libertyville, IL

$134 5.2%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 17.3% $23

Getting Around

Libertyville, IL

$82 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 38.4% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Libertyville, IL

$66 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 1.2% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,689 in Libertyville, IL and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Libertyville, IL pays about 5.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $55 in Libertyville, IL vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Libertyville, IL

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

05:30 5:30 AM

1 h ahead of Libertyville, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,500

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Libertyville, IL Playa del Carmen 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Libertyville, 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Libertyville, IL. 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 in Libertyville, IL is about 5.3 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: $1,689 in Libertyville, IL versus $995 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 $44 versus $55 in Libertyville, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,593 per month in Libertyville, IL versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 54% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,593 in Libertyville, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Libertyville, 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 54% less than in Libertyville, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.