Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Milwaukee, WI and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Milwaukee, WI
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Milwaukee, WI Living Index
58

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

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Milwaukee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,307

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Milwaukee, WI $2,307
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,389 in Milwaukee, WI versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Milwaukee, WI $3,389
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,471 in Milwaukee, WI versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Milwaukee, WI $4,471
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Milwaukee, WI is roughly 92% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Milwaukee, WI is 69% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.23 $20.23

$10.92 MX$204

85.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 $75.5

$43.37 MX$808

74.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 $9.95

$11.78 MX$220

-15.53%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$3.81 MX$71.0

29.92%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$1.28 MX$23.90

119.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.78 MX$14.59

152.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$3.17 MX$59.0

92.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 $6.85

$4.93 MX$92.0

38.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.41 MX$26.22

-40.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.22 MX$41.33

56.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$1.42 MX$26.42

269.72%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$2.52 MX$47.03

84.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.00 $10.00

$7.26 MX$135

37.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.93 $13.93

$7.70 MX$143

80.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.82 $16.82

$12.69 MX$237

32.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.78 MX$51.9

82.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.37 MX$25.50

10.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.55 MX$47.55

76.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$2.12 MX$39.58

145.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.94 MX$36.13

34.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.89 MX$35.16

34.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.15 MX$21.37

103.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.18 MX$21.98

92.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.75 $10.75

$4.30 MX$80.1

150.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 $15.42

$9.95 MX$185

54.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.58 MX$29.52

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.67 MX$49.79

26.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 $2.79

$0.55 MX$10.31

407.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.8 $72.8

$26.62 MX$496

173.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$4.97 MX$92.6

-42.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 $1.56

$3.33 MX$62.1

-53.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.83 $20.83

$5.36 MX$99.8

288.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.44 MX$26.92

-31.25%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

65.72%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

9.12%

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

$202 $202

$84.8 MX$1,581

137.98%

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

$67.3 $67.3

$23.41 MX$436

187.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.7 $70.7

$28.66 MX$534

146.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.90 $37.90

$57.1 MX$1,063

-33.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.66 $18.66

$28.91 MX$539

-35.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.33 $14.33

$5.14 MX$95.8

178.79%

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

$1,813 $1,813

$207 MX$3,851

777.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

505.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$43.35 MX$808

26.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.82 $40.82

$41.44 MX$772

-1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 $92.5

$74.2 MX$1,383

24.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$89.3 MX$1,664

31.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$980 MX$18.3K

64.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$946 $946

$381 MX$7,099

148.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,400 $3,400

$1,708 MX$31.8K

99.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,464 $1,464

$1,075 MX$20.0K

36.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,028 $3,028

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-23.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,625 $1,625

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-73.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,671 $3,671

$735 MX$13.7K

399.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

11.45

-41.92%

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

Last update for Milwaukee, WI: October 27, 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

Milwaukee, WI

$946 41%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 59.7% $565

Groceries & Markets

Milwaukee, WI

$408 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 37.6% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Milwaukee, WI

$340 14.7%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 59.7% $203

Eating Out

Milwaukee, WI

$314 13.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 35.6% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Milwaukee, WI

$137 6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 18.7% $26

Getting Around

Milwaukee, WI

$95 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 46.7% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Milwaukee, WI

$67 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 1.2% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Milwaukee, WI and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milwaukee, WI pays about 5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Milwaukee, WI vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Milwaukee, WI

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:13 6:13 PM

Same time as Milwaukee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

605,013

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Milwaukee, WI Playa del Carmen 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Milwaukee, WI
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

Milwaukee, WI vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Playa del Carmen is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Milwaukee, WI is about 5 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: $1,608 in Milwaukee, WI versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,307 per month in Milwaukee, WI versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 63% less than in Milwaukee, WI. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,307 in Milwaukee, WI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Milwaukee, WI. 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 48% less than in Milwaukee, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.