Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montclair, NJ and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,899 in Montclair, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Montclair, NJ
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Montclair, NJ Living Index
58

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

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Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,899 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $2,899
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,264 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $4,264
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,629 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $5,629
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Montclair, NJ costs about 141% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montclair, NJ sits 113% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$10.92 MX$204

83.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$43.37 MX$808

85.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 $13.14

$11.78 MX$220

11.54%

Cappuccino

$6.35 $6.35

$3.81 MX$71.0

66.67%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$1.28 MX$23.90

91.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.78 MX$14.59

87.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$3.17 MX$59.0

156.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$4.93 MX$92.0

45.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.41 MX$26.22

-9.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.22 MX$41.33

101.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$1.42 MX$26.42

326.06%

Eggs

$6.13 $6.13

$2.52 MX$47.03

143.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.76 $13.76

$7.26 MX$135

89.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$7.70 MX$143

32.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.41 $19.41

$12.69 MX$237

52.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.78 MX$51.9

117.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.37 MX$25.50

64.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.55 MX$47.55

65.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.12 MX$39.58

156.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.94 MX$36.13

61.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.89 MX$35.16

58.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.15 MX$21.37

152.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.18 MX$21.98

129.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.55 $14.55

$4.30 MX$80.1

238.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$9.95 MX$185

52.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.58 MX$29.52

17.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.67 MX$49.79

33.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.97 MX$92.6

-38.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.33 MX$62.1

-34.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.69 $42.69

$5.36 MX$99.8

696.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.44 MX$26.92

-21.53%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

33.49%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

8.41%

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

$170 $170

$84.8 MX$1,581

100.97%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$23.41 MX$436

120.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$28.66 MX$534

76.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.8 $80.8

$57.1 MX$1,063

41.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$20.23 $20.23

$5.14 MX$95.8

293.58%

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

$1,998 $1,998

$207 MX$3,851

867.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

312.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 $70.1

$43.35 MX$808

61.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$41.44 MX$772

23.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$74.2 MX$1,383

35.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$89.3 MX$1,664

34.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 $2,261

$980 MX$18.3K

130.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 $1,540

$381 MX$7,099

304.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,631 $3,631

$1,708 MX$31.8K

112.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 $2,557

$1,075 MX$20.0K

137.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

11.45

-40.61%

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

Last update for Montclair, NJ: October 26, 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

Montclair, NJ

$1.5K 53.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 75.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Montclair, NJ

$451 15.6%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 43.5% $196

Eating Out

Montclair, NJ

$347 12%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 41.6% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montclair, NJ

$273 9.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 49.8% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Montclair, NJ

$154 5.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 27.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Montclair, NJ

$121 4.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 44.5% $54

Getting Around

Montclair, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 261% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,261 in Montclair, NJ 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Montclair, NJ versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montclair, NJ

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:42 2:42 PM

13:42 1:42 PM

1 h behind Montclair, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,669

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Montclair, NJ Playa del Carmen 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Montclair, NJ
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

Montclair, NJ vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montclair, NJ is pricier by about 141%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,348 per month in Montclair, NJ 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 $2,261 in Montclair, NJ.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,899 in Montclair, NJ and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a gap of about 141%.

Kindergarten costs $1,998 per month in Montclair, NJ and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Montclair, NJ at $2,899. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montclair, NJ 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.