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: $2,466 in Montross, VA versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,506 in Montross, VA versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,545 in Montross, VA versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Montross, VA is roughly 96% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montross, VA is 85% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.38 $24.38

$11.72 MX$204

108.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 $37.83

$41.89 MX$731

-9.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 $10.86

$10.51 MX$183

3.33%

Cappuccino

$2.05 $2.05

$3.59 MX$62.5

-42.90%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$1.51 MX$26.31

29.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$0.92 MX$15.96

181.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.96 MX$51.6

32.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.85 $6.85

$4.41 MX$76.9

55.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.40 MX$24.35

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.88 MX$32.87

5.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.98 $6.98

$1.56 MX$27.19

347.44%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.61 MX$45.50

59.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$8.32 MX$145

-29.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.88 $14.88

$8.35 MX$146

78.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.25 $7.25

$10.86 MX$189

-33.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.71 MX$47.31

4.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.51 MX$26.25

-30.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.87 MX$32.67

35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$2.19 MX$38.19

162.10%

Potato (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.86 MX$32.40

125.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.23 MX$38.90

50.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.07 MX$18.63

5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.09 MX$18.94

-24.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 $3.82

$4.19 MX$73.0

-8.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.76 $16.76

$10.43 MX$182

60.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.66 MX$28.91

15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.61 MX$45.56

23.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.54 MX$9.45

264.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.08 MX$53.7

-9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.40 MX$41.94

-34.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.43 $25.43

$3.13 MX$54.5

712.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.31 MX$22.87

-32.82%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

2.81%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

6.11%

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

$129 $129

$81.3 MX$1,418

59.24%

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

$44.69 $44.69

$22.56 MX$393

98.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$30.05 MX$524

134.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.65 $43.65

$52.9 MX$923

-17.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 $15.29

$4.92 MX$85.8

210.77%

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

$1,949 $1,949

$201 MX$3,502

870.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

608.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 $55.9

$35.92 MX$627

55.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 $53.2

$40.13 MX$700

32.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$79.7 MX$1,390

16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$86.5 MX$1,508

34.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 $1,631

$978 MX$17.1K

66.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 $1,377

$470 MX$8,206

192.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 $2,677

$1,651 MX$28.8K

62.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,208 $2,208

$1,203 MX$21.0K

83.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,568 $2,568

$3,953 MX$69.0K

-35.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,576 $2,576

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-61.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,631 in Montross, VA and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Montross, VA vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 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 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,699 in Montross, VA and $1,890 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: $1,631 in Montross, VA versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,949 in Montross, VA versus $201 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 $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,466 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 96% less than in Montross, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.