Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between McLean, VA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,998 in McLean, VA, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in McLean, VA
Learn more

McLean, VA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

McLean, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,998

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,998 per month in McLean, VA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

McLean, VA $2,998
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,767 per month in McLean, VA vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

McLean, VA $4,767
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $6,536 per month in McLean, VA vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

McLean, VA $6,536
Playa del Carmen $3,000

McLean, VA costs about 149% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

McLean, VA sits 121% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.76 $16.76

$10.86 MX$201

54.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 $69.9

$44.21 MX$817

58.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 $11.58

$11.76 MX$217

-1.53%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$3.68 MX$68.0

48.10%

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

$2.34 $2.34

$1.34 MX$24.79

74.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.82 MX$15.24

139.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.06 MX$56.6

194.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$4.94 MX$91.2

103.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.47 MX$27.17

-11.56%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.22 MX$40.95

82.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.48 MX$27.32

49.32%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$2.49 MX$45.99

87.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.35 $17.35

$7.52 MX$139

130.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.99 $16.99

$7.96 MX$147

113.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.31 $18.31

$12.57 MX$232

45.66%

Apples (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$2.78 MX$51.3

128.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.43 MX$26.37

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.62 MX$48.37

92.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$2.14 MX$39.49

168.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.02 MX$37.38

43.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.99 MX$36.74

87.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.14 MX$21.01

127.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.20 MX$22.18

120.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 $14.26

$4.26 MX$78.7

234.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.69 $15.69

$10.02 MX$185

56.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.54 MX$28.41

106.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.66 MX$49.17

112.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$0.53 MX$9.73

364.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.90 MX$90.6

-18.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.43 MX$63.5

-53.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.19 $25.19

$5.38 MX$99.4

368.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.45 MX$26.76

-37.24%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

64.27%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

12.47%

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

$207 $207

$85.4 MX$1,577

142.78%

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

$75.4 $75.4

$23.46 MX$434

221.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 $55.6

$28.43 MX$525

95.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.6 $90.6

$62.2 MX$1,149

45.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$18.26 $18.26

$5.10 MX$94.3

258.04%

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

$1,940 $1,940

$201 MX$3,715

864.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.8K $41.8K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

960.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 $52.0

$44.39 MX$820

17.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.07 $44.07

$41.35 MX$764

6.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.9 $68.9

$72.7 MX$1,344

-5.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.0 $66.0

$89.6 MX$1,656

-26.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,836 $2,836

$979 MX$18.1K

189.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 $1,610

$373 MX$6,887

331.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,942 $3,942

$1,681 MX$31.1K

134.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,506 $3,506

$1,095 MX$20.2K

220.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,722 $5,722

$738 MX$13.6K

675.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.45

-42.10%

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

Last update for McLean, VA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

McLean, VA

$1.6K 53.7%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 76.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

McLean, VA

$480 16%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 46.2% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

McLean, VA

$338 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 59.4% $201

Eating Out

McLean, VA

$317 10.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 36.8% $116

Sport & Entertainment

McLean, VA

$127 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 43.1% $55

Clothing & Footwear

McLean, VA

$104 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 7.4% $7.7

Getting Around

McLean, VA

$22 * 0.7%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 138% $30

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,836 in McLean, VA versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 676% higher in McLean, VA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $70.0 in McLean, VA versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 McLean, VA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

1 h behind McLean, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,115

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

McLean, VA Playa del Carmen 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

McLean, VA
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

McLean, VA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,998 in McLean, VA, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 149% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,496 per month in McLean, VA and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,998 in McLean, VA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 149%.

Kindergarten costs $1,940 per month in McLean, VA and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in McLean, VA at $2,998. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in McLean, VA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $2,998 in McLean, VA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, McLean, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.