Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,065 in Midland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Midland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,065

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,065 per month in Midland, TX vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Midland, TX $2,065
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,941 per month in Midland, TX vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Midland, TX $2,941
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,818 per month in Midland, TX vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Midland, TX $3,818
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Midland, TX costs about 71% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Midland, TX sits 52% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.09 $16.09

$10.92 MX$205

47.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 $54.6

$43.37 MX$814

25.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 $10.03

$11.78 MX$221

-14.86%

Cappuccino

$5.16 $5.16

$3.81 MX$71.5

35.43%

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

$4.65 $4.65

$1.28 MX$24.07

263.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.78 MX$14.70

437.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.89 $9.89

$3.17 MX$59.5

211.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$4.93 MX$92.7

146.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.41 MX$26.40

-45.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.22 MX$41.62

52.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.42 MX$26.61

216.20%

Eggs

$2.98 $2.98

$2.52 MX$47.36

18.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 $10.84

$7.26 MX$136

49.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.37 MX$25.68

-18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.15 MX$21.53

49.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.18 MX$22.13

72.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.17 $11.17

$4.30 MX$80.6

159.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$9.95 MX$187

48.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.58 MX$29.73

12.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.55 MX$10.39

129.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.28 $37.28

$26.62 MX$500

40.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.44 MX$27.11

-40.28%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

30.19%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

11.77%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

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

$53.9 $53.9

$23.41 MX$439

130.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$28.66 MX$538

148.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.36 $13.36

$57.1 MX$1,071

-76.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 $12.37

$5.14 MX$96.5

140.66%

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

$207 MX$3,878

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.1 $79.1

$43.35 MX$814

82.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.36 $30.36

$41.44 MX$778

-26.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 $148

$74.2 MX$1,393

99.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$89.3 MX$1,676

67.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 $1,713

$980 MX$18.4K

74.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 $1,166

$381 MX$7,150

206.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,593 $2,593

$1,708 MX$32.1K

51.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$1,075 MX$20.2K

65.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,337 $2,337

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-40.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,863 $1,863

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-69.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,445 $5,445

$735 MX$13.8K

641.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

11.45

-39.56%

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

Last update for Midland, TX: 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

Midland, TX

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Midland, TX

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Midland, TX

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Midland, TX

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Midland, TX

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Midland, TX

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Midland, TX

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,713 in Midland, TX versus $980 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 Midland, TX are about 7.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Midland, TX versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $181 in Midland, TX vs $255 in Playa del Carmen – so Midland, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Midland, TX

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

07:33 7:33 AM

08:33 8:33 AM

1 h ahead of Midland, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

132,524

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 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 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Midland, TX Playa del Carmen 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Midland, 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

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

Midland, TX costs about 71% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,098 per month in Midland, TX 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,713 in Midland, TX.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 29% cheaper in Midland, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Midland, TX at $2,065. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Midland, TX 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 $2,065 in Midland, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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