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: $2,462 in Los Banos, CA versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,502 in Los Banos, CA versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,542 in Los Banos, CA versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Los Banos, CA is roughly 95% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Los Banos, CA is 85% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.72 $14.72

$11.72 MX$203

25.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$41.89 MX$725

89.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$10.51 MX$182

-5.42%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$3.59 MX$62.0

38.16%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$1.51 MX$26.10

68.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.92 MX$15.83

110.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 $7.17

$2.96 MX$51.2

142.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.47 $7.47

$4.41 MX$76.3

69.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.40 MX$24.16

-27.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.88 MX$32.60

73.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.56 MX$26.97

85.90%

Eggs

$1.64 $1.64

$2.61 MX$45.14

-37.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$8.32 MX$144

-0.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.61 $7.61

$8.35 MX$145

-8.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$10.86 MX$188

14.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.71 MX$46.93

21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.51 MX$26.04

-10.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.87 MX$32.41

44.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.19 MX$37.89

30.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.86 MX$32.14

53.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.23 MX$38.59

9.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.07 MX$18.48

106.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.09 MX$18.79

135.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.10 $11.10

$4.19 MX$72.4

164.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 $11.88

$10.43 MX$180

13.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.66 MX$28.68

15.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 $1.35

$2.61 MX$45.19

-48.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.54 MX$9.37

262.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.08 MX$53.3

-12.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.40 MX$41.61

-37.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 $29.18

$3.13 MX$54.1

832.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.31 MX$22.69

-16.03%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

19.27%

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

$31.8K $31.8K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

36.47%

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

$219 $219

$81.3 MX$1,406

169.14%

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

$45.13 $45.13

$22.56 MX$390

100.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 $67.2

$30.05 MX$520

123.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.65 $42.65

$52.9 MX$915

-19.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$4.92 MX$85.1

202.85%

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

$1,273 $1,273

$201 MX$3,474

533.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

354.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.63 $23.63

$35.92 MX$622

-34.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.62 $21.62

$40.13 MX$694

-46.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.6 $52.6

$79.7 MX$1,379

-34.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 $60.2

$86.5 MX$1,496

-30.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 $1,627

$978 MX$16.9K

66.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 $1,354

$470 MX$8,140

187.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 $2,630

$1,651 MX$28.6K

59.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 $2,179

$1,203 MX$20.8K

81.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 $2,732

$3,953 MX$68.4K

-30.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,362 $2,362

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-64.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,505 $6,505

$677 MX$11.7K

861.45%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,627 in Los Banos, CA and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays 861% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $252 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 95% 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.

Average pay runs 861% higher in Los Banos, CA, 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: $1,627 in Los Banos, CA versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Los Banos, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,462 per month in Los Banos, CA versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,462 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 $1,260 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 95% less than in Los Banos, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.