Cost of Living Comparison Between Martha's Vineyard, MA and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Martha's Vineyard, MA and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,506 in Martha's Vineyard, MA versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,702 in Martha's Vineyard, MA versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,899 in Martha's Vineyard, MA versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Martha's Vineyard, MA is roughly 98% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Martha's Vineyard, MA is 83% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$11.60 MX$200

72.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$47.11 MX$811

56.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 $13.23

$11.88 MX$205

11.36%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$3.98 MX$68.5

28.14%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$1.43 MX$24.58

75.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.82 MX$14.20

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.19 MX$54.9

84.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.26 $8.26

$6.79 MX$117

21.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.68 MX$28.86

-26.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.20 MX$37.84

111.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$1.71 MX$29.42

154.39%

Eggs

$6.16 $6.16

$2.74 MX$47.21

124.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.46 $10.46

$9.58 MX$165

9.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.47 $10.47

$9.01 MX$155

16.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.90 $19.90

$12.81 MX$221

55.35%

Apples (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$2.89 MX$49.75

114.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.50 MX$25.79

124.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.15 MX$37.00

54.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.26 MX$38.92

38.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.98 MX$34.11

13.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.99 MX$34.27

24.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.23 MX$21.26

115.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.20 MX$20.61

139.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$4.55 MX$78.4

163.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.31 $16.31

$10.37 MX$179

57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.62 MX$27.88

17.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.88 MX$49.61

-5.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.60 MX$10.34

231.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.95 $5.95

$5.39 MX$92.8

10.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.73 MX$64.2

-57.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.84 $30.84

$5.77 MX$99.4

434.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.54 MX$26.46

-38.31%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$22.5K MX$388.4K

62.08%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.1K MX$448.8K

-1.25%

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

$177 $177

$91.4 MX$1,574

93.89%

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

$36.87 $36.87

$25.20 MX$434

46.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 $52.3

$31.24 MX$538

67.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 $42.68

$67.2 MX$1,158

-36.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 $13.86

$4.86 MX$83.8

185.19%

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

$2,153 $2,153

$224 MX$3,852

862.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K $24.7K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

484.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.21 $39.21

$47.10 MX$811

-16.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.18 $24.18

$44.29 MX$763

-45.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 $94.9

$80.1 MX$1,380

18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$92.7 MX$1,596

41.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 $1,605

$1,063 MX$18.3K

51.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$390 MX$6,721

246.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,458 $2,458

$2,149 MX$37.0K

14.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 $2,172

$1,272 MX$21.9K

70.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 $2,715

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-32.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,407 $2,407

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-62.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.04

11.45

-47.25%

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

Last update for Martha's Vineyard, MA: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,605 in Martha's Vineyard, MA and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Martha's Vineyard, MA vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $276 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

Martha's Vineyard, MA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Martha's Vineyard, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,759 in Martha's Vineyard, MA and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,605 in Martha's Vineyard, MA versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,153 in Martha's Vineyard, MA versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $74.0 in Martha's Vineyard, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,506 in Martha's Vineyard, MA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Martha's Vineyard, MA. 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 $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Martha's Vineyard, MA and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Martha's Vineyard, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.