Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between McKinney, TX and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,789 in McKinney, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in McKinney, TX
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McKinney, TX Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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McKinney, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,789

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,789 in McKinney, TX versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

McKinney, TX $2,789
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,710 in McKinney, TX versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

McKinney, TX $3,710
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,630 in McKinney, TX versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

McKinney, TX $4,630
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in McKinney, TX is roughly 130% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: McKinney, TX is 107% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.90 $18.90

$10.76 MX$199

75.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$43.03 MX$795

37.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 $10.81

$11.79 MX$218

-8.31%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$3.87 MX$71.4

30.49%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$1.37 MX$25.29

86.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.84 MX$15.44

113.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.10 MX$57.3

89.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 $7.59

$5.07 MX$93.6

49.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.44 MX$26.55

-34.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.23 MX$41.23

25.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.47 MX$27.17

57.82%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.53 MX$46.71

61.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$7.30 MX$135

39.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.51 $15.51

$7.86 MX$145

97.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 $16.84

$12.79 MX$236

31.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.90 MX$53.6

5.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.44 MX$26.53

97.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.55 MX$47.07

16.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.06 MX$38.03

27.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.00 MX$36.97

9.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.01 MX$37.07

4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.19 MX$22.02

44.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.26 MX$23.23

136.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.05 $11.05

$4.40 MX$81.4

151.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 $11.47

$9.59 MX$177

19.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.59 MX$29.41

10.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.81 MX$51.9

27.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.57 MX$10.47

440.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$189 $189

$27.82 MX$514

578.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$4.98 MX$92.1

-41.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.74 $14.74

$5.40 MX$99.8

172.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.47 MX$27.08

-36.73%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

71.79%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

3.52%

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

$200 $200

$84.2 MX$1,556

138.04%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.99 MX$443

147.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 $69.3

$29.02 MX$536

138.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.36 $30.36

$63.0 MX$1,164

-51.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.81 $12.81

$29.14 MX$539

-56.04%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 $11.85

$4.94 MX$91.3

139.88%

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

$1,345 $1,345

$204 MX$3,763

560.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 $56.5

$43.60 MX$806

29.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.95 $28.95

$43.12 MX$797

-32.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 $87.8

$75.8 MX$1,400

15.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 $59.8

$88.6 MX$1,637

-32.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 $1,673

$1,008 MX$18.6K

65.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 $1,420

$374 MX$6,911

279.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 $2,639

$1,708 MX$31.6K

54.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,704 $1,704

$1,106 MX$20.4K

54.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,323 $2,323

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-41.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,294 $2,294

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-62.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,805 $5,805

$754 MX$13.9K

669.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.45

-43.14%

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

Last update for McKinney, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

McKinney, TX

$1.4K 50.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 73.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

McKinney, TX

$371 13.3%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 30.4% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

McKinney, TX

$329 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 58.3% $192

Eating Out

McKinney, TX

$306 11%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 33.9% $104

Getting Around

McKinney, TX

$204 * 7.3%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 74.2% $152

Clothing & Footwear

McKinney, TX

$105 3.8%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 7.8% $8.1

Sport & Entertainment

McKinney, TX

$54 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 34.8% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in McKinney, TX and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

McKinney, TX pays 670% 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: $59.0 in McKinney, TX vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 McKinney, TX

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:25 6:25 PM

Same time as McKinney, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,690

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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

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Between locations

McKinney, TX Playa del Carmen 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

McKinney, TX
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

McKinney, TX vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

McKinney, TX and Playa del Carmen differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($2,789 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 670% higher in McKinney, TX, 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: $1,673 in McKinney, TX versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,789 per month in McKinney, TX versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 130% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 579% less than in McKinney, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,789 in McKinney, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in McKinney, TX. 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 130% less than in McKinney, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.