Cost of Living Comparison Between Montross, VA and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Montross, VA and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,456 in Montross, VA versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,491 in Montross, VA versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,526 in Montross, VA versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Montross, VA is roughly 95% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montross, VA is 83% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.88 $24.88

$11.67 MX$202

113.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.25 $38.25

$41.88 MX$726

-8.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.13 $11.13

$10.40 MX$180

7.02%

Cappuccino

$2.01 $2.01

$3.61 MX$62.6

-44.32%

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

$2.05 $2.05

$1.47 MX$25.45

39.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$0.91 MX$15.80

184.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.03 MX$52.6

34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$4.47 MX$77.4

54.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.38 MX$23.83

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.84 MX$31.93

11.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$1.61 MX$27.82

330.43%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$2.57 MX$44.52

55.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$8.49 MX$147

-31.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.01 $15.01

$8.49 MX$147

76.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.31 $7.31

$10.99 MX$190

-33.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.73 MX$47.25

3.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.50 MX$25.92

-26.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.96 MX$33.93

29.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$2.12 MX$36.70

183.02%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.86 MX$32.30

119.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.17 MX$37.67

56.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.07 MX$18.59

2.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.05 MX$18.18

-18.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.83 $3.83

$4.19 MX$72.6

-8.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.04 $17.04

$10.28 MX$178

65.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.67 MX$28.87

15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.49 MX$43.12

36.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.54 MX$9.37

277.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.10 MX$53.8

-10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.46 MX$42.66

-32.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.44 $25.44

$3.24 MX$56.1

685.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.26 MX$21.83

-30.95%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

2.60%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

8.04%

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

$126 $126

$84.0 MX$1,456

50.27%

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

$44.70 $44.70

$22.21 MX$385

101.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$29.65 MX$514

143.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.07 $43.07

$52.6 MX$912

-18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$4.95 MX$85.7

202.02%

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

$1,912 $1,912

$198 MX$3,438

863.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K $35.8K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

572.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$35.95 MX$623

54.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 $53.6

$40.06 MX$694

33.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 $93.0

$78.8 MX$1,365

18.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$86.5 MX$1,499

35.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 $1,580

$977 MX$16.9K

61.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$471 MX$8,158

186.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,629 $2,629

$1,595 MX$27.6K

64.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,260 $2,260

$1,215 MX$21.1K

86.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,456 $2,456

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-39.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,101 $2,101

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-68.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.42

-42.64%

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

Last update for Montross, VA: April 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,580 in Montross, VA and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38 in Montross, VA vs $42 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $252, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

Montross, VA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,685 in Montross, VA and $1,891 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: $1,580 in Montross, VA versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,912 in Montross, VA versus $198 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 $42.00 versus $38.00 in Montross, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,456 in Montross, VA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Montross, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Montross, VA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Montross, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.