Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,628 in Mission, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Mission, TX
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Mission, TX Living Index
58

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

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Mission, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,628

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,628 in Mission, TX versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Mission, TX $2,628
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,866 in Mission, TX versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Mission, TX $3,866
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,105 in Mission, TX versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Mission, TX $5,105
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Mission, TX is roughly 118% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mission, TX is 93% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.86 $18.86

$10.92 MX$204

72.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$43.37 MX$810

73.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 $10.96

$11.78 MX$220

-6.96%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$3.81 MX$71.2

34.38%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$1.28 MX$23.96

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.78 MX$14.63

155.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.17 MX$59.2

92.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$4.93 MX$92.2

37.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.41 MX$26.28

-28.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.22 MX$41.43

59.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.42 MX$26.48

200.70%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$2.52 MX$47.14

67.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 $12.14

$7.26 MX$136

67.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.52 $11.52

$7.70 MX$144

49.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.50 $15.50

$12.69 MX$237

22.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.78 MX$52.0

77.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.37 MX$25.56

18.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.55 MX$47.66

65.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.12 MX$39.67

125.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.94 MX$36.22

48.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.89 MX$35.24

46.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.15 MX$21.42

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.18 MX$22.03

77.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.39 $9.39

$4.30 MX$80.3

118.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.19 $14.19

$9.95 MX$186

42.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.58 MX$29.59

17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.67 MX$49.91

22.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.55 MX$10.34

270.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.1 $65.1

$26.62 MX$497

144.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 $3.51

$4.97 MX$92.9

-29.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.33 MX$62.2

-52.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.28 $29.28

$5.36 MX$100

446.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.44 MX$26.98

-36.81%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$20.7K MX$386.2K

44.56%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$23.5K MX$438.5K

8.83%

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

$189 $189

$84.8 MX$1,584

122.37%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$23.41 MX$437

125.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$28.66 MX$535

135.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.80 $42.80

$57.1 MX$1,066

-24.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$540

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$5.14 MX$96.0

167.51%

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

$1,311 $1,311

$207 MX$3,860

534.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$3,927 MX$73.4K

497.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 $51.6

$43.35 MX$810

18.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 $40.39

$41.44 MX$774

-2.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$74.2 MX$1,386

17.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$89.3 MX$1,668

23.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$980 MX$18.3K

65.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 $1,339

$381 MX$7,116

251.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 $2,589

$1,708 MX$31.9K

51.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,255 $2,255

$1,075 MX$20.1K

109.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,807 $2,807

$3,943 MX$73.7K

-28.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,404 $2,404

$6,158 MX$115.1K

-60.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.45

-43.14%

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

Last update for Mission, 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

Mission, TX

$1.3K 51%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 71.6% $958

Groceries & Markets

Mission, TX

$387 14.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 34.2% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mission, TX

$309 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 55.7% $172

Eating Out

Mission, TX

$308 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 34.2% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Mission, TX

$130 5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 14.2% $18

Getting Around

Mission, TX

$85 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 40.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Mission, TX

$70 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 4.2% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Mission, TX and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75 in Mission, TX vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mission, TX

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

Same time as Mission, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,272

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Mission, TX Playa del Carmen 1,300 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mission, 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Mission, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,942 in Mission, TX and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Mission, TX 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 $2,628 per month in Mission, TX versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 59% less than in Mission, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,628 in Mission, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mission, TX. 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 54% less than in Mission, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.