Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,964 in Middletown, OH, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Middletown, OH
Learn more

Middletown, OH Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Middletown, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,964

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,964 in Middletown, OH versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Middletown, OH $1,964
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,921 in Middletown, OH versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Middletown, OH $2,921
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,878 in Middletown, OH versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Middletown, OH $3,878
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Middletown, OH is roughly 63% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middletown, OH is 44% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.79 $14.79

$10.92 MX$205

35.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.4 $65.4

$43.37 MX$815

50.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 $9.21

$11.78 MX$221

-21.82%

Cappuccino

$4.41 $4.41

$3.81 MX$71.6

15.75%

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

$2.38 $2.38

$1.28 MX$24.10

85.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.78 MX$14.71

158.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.17 MX$59.5

-7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 $5.83

$4.93 MX$92.7

18.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.41 MX$26.43

-49.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.22 MX$41.66

43.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.42 MX$26.64

139.44%

Eggs

$2.92 $2.92

$2.52 MX$47.41

15.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.45 $12.45

$7.26 MX$137

71.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 $10.09

$7.70 MX$145

31.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.34 $17.34

$12.69 MX$239

36.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$2.78 MX$52.3

102.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.37 MX$25.71

6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.55 MX$47.94

-11.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.12 MX$39.90

100.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.94 MX$36.43

15.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.89 MX$35.44

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.15 MX$21.55

68.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.18 MX$22.16

115.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.17 $11.17

$4.30 MX$80.7

159.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.99 $11.99

$9.95 MX$187

20.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.58 MX$29.76

29.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.67 MX$50.2

30.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.55 MX$10.40

267.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 $66.4

$26.62 MX$500

149.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$4.97 MX$93.4

-59.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.33 MX$62.6

-49.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.51 $34.51

$5.36 MX$101

543.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.44 MX$27.14

-43.75%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

49.97%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

12.96%

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

$234 $234

$84.8 MX$1,594

176.51%

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

$60.0 $60.0

$23.41 MX$440

156.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.87 $48.87

$28.66 MX$539

70.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.89 $42.89

$57.1 MX$1,072

-24.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 $10.06

$5.14 MX$96.6

95.72%

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

$1,719 $1,719

$207 MX$3,882

732.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

507.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$43.35 MX$815

26.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 $44.98

$41.44 MX$779

8.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.1 $91.1

$74.2 MX$1,394

22.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$89.3 MX$1,677

35.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 $946

$980 MX$18.4K

-3.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 $726

$381 MX$7,157

90.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 $1,329

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-22.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 $1,212

$1,075 MX$20.2K

12.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,499 $2,499

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-36.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,574 $2,574

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-58.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,933 $5,933

$735 MX$13.8K

707.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.45

-42.62%

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

Last update for Middletown, OH: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Middletown, OH

$726 37%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 47.6% $346

Groceries & Markets

Middletown, OH

$363 18.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 29.9% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Middletown, OH

$343 17.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 60.1% $207

Eating Out

Middletown, OH

$243 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 16.6% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Middletown, OH

$141 7.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 20.5% $29

Getting Around

Middletown, OH

$85 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 40.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Middletown, OH

$63 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 6.8% $4.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $946 in Middletown, OH and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middletown, OH pays about 8.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65 in Middletown, OH vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $363 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Middletown, OH

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:08 5:08 AM

Same time as Middletown, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,648

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Middletown, OH Playa del Carmen 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Middletown, OH. 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 in Middletown, OH is about 8.1 times higher, 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: $946 in Middletown, OH versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Middletown, OH. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $65 in Middletown, OH. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,964 in Middletown, OH, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Middletown, OH. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Middletown, OH on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.