Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Modesto, CA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,708 in Modesto, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Modesto, CA
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Modesto, CA Living Index
58

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

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Modesto, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,708

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,708 per month in Modesto, CA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Modesto, CA $2,708
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,910 per month in Modesto, CA vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Modesto, CA $3,910
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,112 per month in Modesto, CA vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Modesto, CA $5,112
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Modesto, CA costs about 125% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Modesto, CA sits 99% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.19 $15.19

$10.92 MX$205

39.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$43.37 MX$815

82.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 $8.88

$11.78 MX$221

-24.62%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$3.81 MX$71.6

41.47%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$1.28 MX$24.10

103.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.78 MX$14.71

102.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.17 MX$59.5

59.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.93 MX$92.7

44.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.41 MX$26.43

-25.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.22 MX$41.66

64.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.42 MX$26.64

188.03%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$2.52 MX$47.41

119.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.89 $12.89

$7.26 MX$137

77.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$7.70 MX$145

73.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 $19.65

$12.69 MX$239

54.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.78 MX$52.3

93.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.37 MX$25.71

46.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.55 MX$47.94

117.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$2.12 MX$39.90

157.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$1.94 MX$36.43

81.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.89 MX$35.44

55.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.15 MX$21.55

111.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.18 MX$22.16

116.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$4.30 MX$80.7

168.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$9.95 MX$187

53.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.58 MX$29.76

18.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.67 MX$50.2

24.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.55 MX$10.40

256.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.49 $40.49

$26.62 MX$500

52.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$4.97 MX$93.4

-30.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.33 MX$62.6

-8.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.56 $30.56

$5.36 MX$101

470.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.44 MX$27.14

-0.69%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

78.67%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

13.62%

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

$257 $257

$84.8 MX$1,594

203.09%

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

$48.45 $48.45

$23.41 MX$440

106.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 $68.6

$28.66 MX$539

139.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.85 $37.85

$57.1 MX$1,072

-33.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 $14.77

$28.91 MX$543

-48.91%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 $11.21

$5.14 MX$96.6

118.09%

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

$1,836 $1,836

$207 MX$3,882

788.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.6K $40.6K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

933.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.86 $47.86

$43.35 MX$815

10.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.21 $39.21

$41.44 MX$779

-5.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 $95.1

$74.2 MX$1,394

28.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$89.3 MX$1,677

35.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$980 MX$18.4K

32.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 $1,359

$381 MX$7,157

256.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 $1,824

$1,708 MX$32.1K

6.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$1,075 MX$20.2K

100.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,619 $3,619

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-8.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,962 $2,962

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-51.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,071 $4,071

$735 MX$13.8K

454.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

11.45

-46.72%

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

Last update for Modesto, CA: 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

Modesto, CA

$1.4K 50.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 72% $978

Groceries & Markets

Modesto, CA

$442 16.3%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 42.3% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Modesto, CA

$374 13.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 63.4% $237

Eating Out

Modesto, CA

$269 9.9%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 24.8% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Modesto, CA

$136 5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 18.1% $25

Getting Around

Modesto, CA

$67 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 24.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Modesto, CA

$60 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 11.7% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,302 in Modesto, CA 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 Modesto, CA are about 5.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79 in Modesto, CA versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $442 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Modesto, CA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

3 h ahead of Modesto, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,266

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 →

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Modesto, CA Playa del Carmen 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Modesto, CA
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

Modesto, CA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Modesto, CA costs about 125% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,062 per month in Modesto, CA 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 $1,302 in Modesto, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,708 in Modesto, CA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 56% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Modesto, CA at $2,708. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Modesto, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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