Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Banos, CA and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Banos, CA and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,460 in Los Banos, CA versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,516 in Los Banos, CA versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,572 in Los Banos, CA versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Los Banos, CA is roughly 94% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Los Banos, CA is 83% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.30 $15.30

$11.87 MX$204

28.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$42.90 MX$736

84.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$10.65 MX$183

-6.48%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$3.45 MX$59.2

48.70%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$1.50 MX$25.81

71.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.95 MX$16.28

104.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 $7.19

$3.03 MX$51.9

137.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 $7.59

$4.61 MX$79.1

64.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.38 MX$23.61

-31.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.85 MX$31.70

76.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.61 MX$27.65

86.96%

Eggs

$1.65 $1.65

$2.59 MX$44.51

-36.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 $8.48

$8.26 MX$142

2.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.49 $7.49

$8.37 MX$144

-10.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 $12.80

$10.66 MX$183

20.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.63 MX$45.12

26.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.49 MX$25.53

-13.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.92 MX$32.94

43.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.09 MX$35.81

32.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.86 MX$31.88

55.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.26 MX$38.81

7.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.06 MX$18.23

114.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.09 MX$18.67

132.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.17 $11.17

$4.15 MX$71.2

169.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.39 MX$178

17.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.72 MX$29.59

8.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 $1.35

$2.61 MX$44.85

-48.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.54 MX$9.30

279.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.13 MX$53.7

-14.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.51 MX$43.09

-37.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.34 $29.34

$3.15 MX$54.1

831.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.27 MX$21.88

-10.24%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

18.81%

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

$31.4K $31.4K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

33.28%

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

$222 $222

$83.0 MX$1,425

167.41%

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

$45.23 $45.23

$22.71 MX$390

99.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$29.46 MX$506

127.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.66 $42.66

$51.0 MX$875

-16.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 $14.92

$4.93 MX$84.5

202.64%

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

$1,274 $1,274

$197 MX$3,386

545.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

342.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.45 $24.45

$36.90 MX$633

-33.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.80 $21.80

$39.89 MX$685

-45.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.1 $52.1

$80.0 MX$1,373

-34.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 $58.8

$89.5 MX$1,536

-34.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$956 MX$16.4K

69.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 $1,380

$477 MX$8,189

189.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 $2,660

$1,646 MX$28.3K

61.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,200 $2,200

$1,225 MX$21.0K

79.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,668 $2,668

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-31.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,352 $2,352

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-63.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,500 $6,500

$667 MX$11.4K

874.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.42

-41.94%

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

Last update for Los Banos, CA: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Los Banos, CA and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays 874% 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: $79.0 in Los Banos, CA vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $250 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

Los Banos, CA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Los Banos, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Los Banos, CA pays 874% 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: $1,621 in Los Banos, CA versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Los Banos, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,460 per month in Los Banos, CA versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,460 in Los Banos, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Los Banos, CA. 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 $1,271 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 94% less than in Los Banos, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.