Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Laurel, NJ and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,569 in Mount Laurel, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Mount Laurel, NJ
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Mount Laurel, NJ Living Index
57

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

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Mount Laurel, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,569

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,569 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mount Laurel, NJ $2,569
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $3,759 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mount Laurel, NJ $3,759
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,949 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Mount Laurel, NJ $4,949
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Mount Laurel, NJ costs about 114% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mount Laurel, NJ sits 90% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 $17.26

$10.67 MX$198

61.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 $91.2

$43.80 MX$813

108.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 $12.09

$11.79 MX$219

2.54%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$3.79 MX$70.3

40.90%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$1.30 MX$24.07

127.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.83 MX$15.47

137.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.15 MX$58.4

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 $5.88

$4.93 MX$91.6

19.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.41 MX$26.14

6.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.20 MX$40.75

25.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$1.47 MX$27.33

285.71%

Eggs

$3.93 $3.93

$2.50 MX$46.34

57.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.95 $11.95

$7.29 MX$135

63.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 $6.80

$7.95 MX$148

-14.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$12.86 MX$239

0.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$2.90 MX$53.8

106.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.38 MX$25.67

11.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.49 MX$46.23

72.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.03 MX$37.67

117.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.02 MX$37.58

6.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.90 MX$35.32

74.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.14 MX$21.24

125.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.24 MX$22.99

106.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.97 $11.97

$4.27 MX$79.3

180.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$9.81 MX$182

54.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.59 MX$29.43

50.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.75 MX$51.0

65.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.51 MX$9.56

260.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 $59.3

$27.39 MX$508

116.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$4.76 MX$88.4

-43.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$3.25 MX$60.3

-43.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.48 $26.48

$5.39 MX$100

391.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.53 MX$28.36

-28.10%

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

$31.9K $31.9K

$21.2K MX$393.7K

50.29%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.3K MX$431.7K

12.55%

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

$227 $227

$83.5 MX$1,549

171.51%

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

$66.0 $66.0

$23.19 MX$430

184.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 $65.9

$27.61 MX$512

138.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.41 $39.41

$56.4 MX$1,047

-30.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$523

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$5.00 MX$92.8

195.00%

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

$2,095 $2,095

$207 MX$3,843

911.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K $20.2K

$5,231 MX$97.1K

286.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.09 $49.09

$43.45 MX$806

12.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.21 $43.21

$42.54 MX$789

1.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$72.8 MX$1,350

45.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$88.4 MX$1,640

56.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 $1,606

$995 MX$18.5K

61.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 $1,254

$382 MX$7,097

227.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,615 $2,615

$1,674 MX$31.1K

56.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,015 $2,015

$1,081 MX$20.1K

86.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,532 $2,532

$3,909 MX$72.5K

-35.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,301 $2,301

$6,138 MX$113.9K

-62.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

11.45

-40.44%

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

Last update for Mount Laurel, NJ: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mount Laurel, NJ

$1.3K 48.8%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 69.5% $871

Groceries & Markets

Mount Laurel, NJ

$374 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 31.1% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Laurel, NJ

$359 14%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 62.5% $224

Eating Out

Mount Laurel, NJ

$285 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 29.6% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Laurel, NJ

$151 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 26.5% $40

Getting Around

Mount Laurel, NJ

$78 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 35.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Laurel, NJ

$69 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 3.6% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,606 in Mount Laurel, NJ versus $995 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 $91 in Mount Laurel, NJ versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $374 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mount Laurel, NJ

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

Same time as Mount Laurel, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,326

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.39 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 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 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.56 MXN (100 MXN = 5.39 USD). 1 EUR = 20.85 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mount Laurel, NJ Playa del Carmen 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mount Laurel, 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

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

Yes – Mount Laurel, NJ is pricier by about 114%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,854 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ and $1,804 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 $995 there versus $1,606 in Mount Laurel, NJ.

Kindergarten costs $2,095 per month in Mount Laurel, 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.

Groceries cost about 45% more in Mount Laurel, NJ, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Mount Laurel, NJ at $2,569. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mount Laurel, 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.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 53% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.