Cost of Living Comparison Between Mountain Home, ID and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Mountain Home, ID and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,531 in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,740 in Mountain Home, ID versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,950 in Mountain Home, ID versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Mountain Home, ID is roughly 94% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mountain Home, ID is 84% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.11 $22.11

$11.96 MX$202

84.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 $77.8

$47.38 MX$800

64.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 $10.28

$11.75 MX$198

-12.51%

Cappuccino

$6.01 $6.01

$4.12 MX$69.6

45.87%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$1.40 MX$23.63

97.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.91 MX$15.40

143.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 $6.84

$3.21 MX$54.1

113.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.07 MX$119

13.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.68 MX$28.31

-36.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.15 MX$36.31

58.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$1.77 MX$29.96

153.11%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$2.82 MX$47.54

48.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 $12.20

$9.20 MX$155

32.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 $11.16

$9.23 MX$156

20.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.98 $16.98

$12.64 MX$213

34.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.95 MX$49.83

71.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.58 MX$26.66

0.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.22 MX$37.53

104.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.36 MX$39.90

98.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.99 MX$33.65

46.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.98 MX$33.42

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.24 MX$20.94

74.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.21 MX$20.46

82.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 $9.96

$4.60 MX$77.7

116.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$10.52 MX$178

42.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.69 MX$28.56

13.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.77 MX$46.84

15.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.60 MX$10.17

271.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$5.24 MX$88.4

-47.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.65 MX$61.6

-48.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.34 $32.34

$5.78 MX$97.7

459.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.54 MX$25.97

-29.87%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$22.8K MX$385.0K

36.75%

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$25.8K MX$435.8K

12.58%

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

$200 $200

$90.7 MX$1,531

120.44%

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

$56.7 $56.7

$25.19 MX$425

125.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$31.75 MX$536

117.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.51 $38.51

$68.8 MX$1,162

-44.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$496

Cinema Ticket

$15.66 $15.66

$4.86 MX$82.1

222.22%

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

$1,231 $1,231

$226 MX$3,811

445.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$4,194 MX$70.8K

507.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 $56.3

$47.38 MX$800

18.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.43 $41.43

$43.45 MX$734

-4.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.8 $90.8

$80.2 MX$1,355

13.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$91.4 MX$1,543

42.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$1,086 MX$18.3K

47.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 $1,171

$409 MX$6,900

186.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 $2,285

$1,972 MX$33.3K

15.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 $2,102

$1,281 MX$21.6K

64.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,093 $3,093

$4,046 MX$68.3K

-23.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,408 $2,408

$6,704 MX$113.2K

-64.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.12

11.45

-46.55%

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

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: September 5, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Mountain Home, ID vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $395 vs $278 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

Mountain Home, ID 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. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,796 in Mountain Home, ID and $1,958 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: $1,604 in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Mountain Home, ID. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,531 per month in Mountain Home, ID versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,531 in Mountain Home, ID, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mountain Home, ID. 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 Mountain Home, ID, 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 94% less than in Mountain Home, ID. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.