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

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Monterey, CA is 59.2% more expensive than Playa del Carmen without rent, and 166.6% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Monterey, CA is 61.6% more expensive than Playa del Carmen without rent, and 116.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Monterey, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.29 $16.29
$11.85 MX$209
37.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.1 $66.1
$42.16 MX$744
56.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.48 $9.48
$10.75 MX$190
-11.81%
Cappuccino
$4.43 $4.43
$3.47 MX$61.3
27.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 $3.16
$1.45 MX$25.65
117.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 $1.64
$0.90 MX$15.93
82.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.12 $6.12
$3.05 MX$53.9
100.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.45 $4.45
$4.42 MX$77.9
0.68%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Monterey, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.29 $1.29
$1.37 MX$24.17
-5.84%
White Bread (500g)
$3.42 $3.42
$1.87 MX$33.05
82.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.35 $4.35
$1.54 MX$27.25
182.47%
Eggs
$3.95 $3.95
$2.50 MX$44.18
58.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.40 $9.40
$8.61 MX$152
9.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.83 $17.83
$8.63 MX$152
106.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.35 $14.35
$11.02 MX$195
30.22%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 $3.97
$2.75 MX$48.53
44.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.19 $1.19
$1.43 MX$25.21
-16.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.48 $2.48
$1.87 MX$33.05
32.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 $2.25
$2.17 MX$38.26
3.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 $1.93
$1.88 MX$33.23
2.66%
Onion (1kg)
$2.16 $2.16
$2.25 MX$39.65
-4.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.07 MX$18.85
73.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.07 MX$18.95
79.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.08 $12.08
$4.15 MX$73.3
191.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.13 $17.13
$10.34 MX$182
65.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.68 MX$29.64
33.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$2.48 MX$43.84
-0.40%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Monterey, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 $1.97
$0.55 MX$9.80
258.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$54.4 $54.4
$26.53 MX$468
105.05%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.59 $1.59
$3.22 MX$56.8
-50.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.95 $0.95
$2.48 MX$43.80
-61.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.62 $29.62
$3.11 MX$54.9
852.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.26 MX$22.16
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K $24.3K
$30.7K MX$541.1K
-20.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K $24.7K
$24.0K MX$424.3K
2.57%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Monterey, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$185 $185
$82.5 MX$1,456
124.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.2 $51.2
$22.29 MX$393
129.79%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.1 $61.1
$30.02 MX$530
103.60%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Monterey, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.09 $44.09
$51.4 MX$908
-14.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.63 $10.63
$18.29 MX$323
-41.88%
Cinema Ticket
$12.53 $12.53
$4.98 MX$88.0
151.61%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Monterey, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$553 $553
$200 MX$3,530
176.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K $12.3K
$5,304 MX$93.6K
131.99%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Monterey, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.4 $68.4
$35.71 MX$630
91.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$120 $120
$39.56 MX$698
203.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.3 $99.3
$80.6 MX$1,422
23.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$204 $204
$88.3 MX$1,559
130.77%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Monterey, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,277 $2,277
$969 MX$17.1K
134.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,027 $2,027
$482 MX$8,511
320.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,629 $3,629
$1,595 MX$28.2K
127.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,727 $3,727
$1,184 MX$20.9K
214.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,063 $8,063
$4,050 MX$71.5K
99.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,764 $5,764
$6,522 MX$115.1K
-11.62%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Monterey, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,273 $5,273
$756 MX$13.4K
597.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.4
11.42
-43.96%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Monterey, CA: March 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: March 3, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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