Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Middletown, NJ and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,647 in Middletown, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Middletown, NJ
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Middletown, NJ Living Index
57

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

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Middletown, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,647

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,647 per month in Middletown, NJ vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Middletown, NJ $2,647
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $3,949 per month in Middletown, NJ vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Middletown, NJ $3,949
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,251 per month in Middletown, NJ vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Middletown, NJ $5,251
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Middletown, NJ costs about 120% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Middletown, NJ sits 96% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.84 $19.84

$10.67 MX$199

85.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$104 $104

$43.80 MX$815

137.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 $12.20

$11.79 MX$219

3.48%

Cappuccino

$5.52 $5.52

$3.79 MX$70.5

45.65%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.30 MX$24.14

103.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.83 MX$15.51

183.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 $6.42

$3.15 MX$58.6

103.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.05 $9.05

$4.93 MX$91.8

83.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.41 MX$26.22

-6.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.20 MX$40.86

61.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.47 MX$27.40

266.67%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$2.50 MX$46.46

56.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.20 $13.20

$7.29 MX$136

81.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 $6.71

$7.95 MX$148

-15.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$12.86 MX$239

3.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.90 MX$53.9

17.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.38 MX$25.74

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.49 MX$46.35

7.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.03 MX$37.77

112.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.02 MX$37.68

-19.80%

Onion (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.90 MX$35.42

127.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.14 MX$21.30

124.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.24 MX$23.05

98.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.13 $9.13

$4.27 MX$79.5

113.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.15 $20.15

$9.81 MX$183

105.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.59 MX$29.51

76.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.75 MX$51.1

22.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.51 MX$9.58

329.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 $65.6

$27.39 MX$510

139.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$4.76 MX$88.6

-36.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.25 MX$60.5

-33.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.59 $42.59

$5.39 MX$100

690.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.53 MX$28.44

-24.84%

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

$31.3K $31.3K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

47.40%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

9.60%

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

$224 $224

$83.5 MX$1,554

167.95%

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

$60.8 $60.8

$23.19 MX$431

162.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 $61.3

$27.61 MX$514

121.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.02 $36.02

$56.4 MX$1,050

-36.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$19.85 $19.85

$5.00 MX$93.1

297.00%

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

$3,074 $3,074

$207 MX$3,854

1384.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K $20.8K

$5,231 MX$97.3K

297.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 $70.4

$43.45 MX$809

61.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.1 $76.1

$42.54 MX$792

78.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$72.8 MX$1,354

66.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$88.4 MX$1,645

38.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 $1,553

$995 MX$18.5K

56.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 $1,258

$382 MX$7,116

229.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 $2,518

$1,674 MX$31.2K

50.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 $2,106

$1,081 MX$20.1K

94.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,933 $2,933

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-24.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,558 $2,558

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-58.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,066 $3,066

$832 MX$15.5K

268.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.78

11.45

-40.79%

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

Last update for Middletown, NJ: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Middletown, NJ

$1.3K 47.5%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 69.6% $876

Groceries & Markets

Middletown, NJ

$372 14.1%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 30.8% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Middletown, NJ

$346 13.1%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 61.2% $211

Eating Out

Middletown, NJ

$332 12.5%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 39.6% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Middletown, NJ

$175 6.6%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 36.6% $64

Getting Around

Middletown, NJ

$88 3.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 42.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Middletown, NJ

$76 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 12.2% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,553 in Middletown, NJ versus $995 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 in Middletown, NJ are about 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $104 in Middletown, NJ versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $372 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Middletown, NJ

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

Same time as Middletown, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,812

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 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 November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Middletown, NJ Playa del Carmen 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Middletown, NJ
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

Middletown, NJ vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,647 in Middletown, NJ, $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 55% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,970 per month in Middletown, NJ and $1,804 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,553 in Middletown, NJ.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,647 in Middletown, NJ and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 55% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Middletown, NJ at $2,647. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Middletown, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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