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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,593 in Mission, TX versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,739 in Mission, TX versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,885 in Mission, TX versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mission, TX is roughly 104% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mission, TX is 93% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.81 $18.81

$11.87 MX$204

58.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$42.90 MX$736

76.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$10.65 MX$183

2.44%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$3.45 MX$59.2

48.41%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$1.50 MX$25.81

72.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.95 MX$16.28

115.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.03 MX$51.9

93.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.61 MX$79.1

50.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.38 MX$23.61

-27.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.85 MX$31.70

92.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$1.61 MX$27.65

159.63%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$2.59 MX$44.51

56.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 $12.33

$8.26 MX$142

49.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 $11.56

$8.37 MX$144

38.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.40 $15.40

$10.66 MX$183

44.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.63 MX$45.12

84.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.49 MX$25.53

10.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.92 MX$32.94

118.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.09 MX$35.81

123.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.86 MX$31.88

56.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.26 MX$38.81

24.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.06 MX$18.23

95.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.09 MX$18.67

99.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.40 $9.40

$4.15 MX$71.2

126.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 $14.02

$10.39 MX$178

34.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.72 MX$29.59

6.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.61 MX$44.85

26.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.54 MX$9.30

259.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.13 MX$53.7

14.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.51 MX$43.09

-34.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.14 $29.14

$3.15 MX$54.1

825.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.27 MX$21.88

-29.92%

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-4.06%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

9.90%

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

$188 $188

$83.0 MX$1,425

126.99%

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

$53.8 $53.8

$22.71 MX$390

136.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.6 $66.6

$29.46 MX$506

126.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.11 $43.11

$51.0 MX$875

-15.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 $13.70

$4.93 MX$84.5

177.89%

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

$1,306 $1,306

$197 MX$3,386

561.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

351.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$36.90 MX$633

38.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.47 $40.47

$39.89 MX$685

1.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$80.0 MX$1,373

9.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$89.5 MX$1,536

26.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 $1,596

$956 MX$16.4K

66.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$477 MX$8,189

183.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,636 $2,636

$1,646 MX$28.3K

60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,237 $2,237

$1,225 MX$21.0K

82.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 $2,805

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-28.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,438 $2,438

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-62.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.42

-42.99%

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

Last update for Mission, TX: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,596 in Mission, TX and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Mission, TX vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $250 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 104% 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 $3,890 in Mission, TX and $1,906 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: $1,596 in Mission, TX versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,306 in Mission, TX versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $76.0 in Mission, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,593 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 work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,271 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Mission, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.