Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newport Beach, CA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $47,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

248

Cost of Living Index in Newport Beach, CA
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Newport Beach, CA Living Index
58

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

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Newport Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$5,160

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Newport Beach, CA 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 Newport Beach, CA and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $5,160 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $5,160
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $7,319 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $7,319
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $9,477 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $9,477
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Newport Beach, CA costs about 328% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Newport Beach, CA sits 279% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.79 $24.79

$10.92 MX$203

127.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.1 $98.1

$43.37 MX$808

126.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 $14.86

$11.78 MX$219

26.15%

Cappuccino

$5.72 $5.72

$3.81 MX$71.0

50.13%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$1.28 MX$23.89

135.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$0.78 MX$14.58

208.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 $7.31

$3.17 MX$59.0

130.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 $9.54

$4.93 MX$91.9

93.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.41 MX$26.20

-13.48%

White Bread (500g)

$5.67 $5.67

$2.22 MX$41.30

155.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.42 MX$26.40

197.18%

Eggs

$5.12 $5.12

$2.52 MX$47.00

103.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$7.26 MX$135

68.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.71 $8.71

$7.70 MX$143

13.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$12.69 MX$236

10.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.78 MX$51.9

65.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.37 MX$25.49

24.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.55 MX$47.52

54.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$2.12 MX$39.55

170.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.94 MX$36.11

86.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.89 MX$35.13

62.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.15 MX$21.36

83.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.18 MX$21.96

94.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.62 $11.62

$4.30 MX$80.0

170.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$9.95 MX$185

51.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.58 MX$29.50

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.67 MX$49.76

16.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 $4.60

$4.97 MX$92.6

-7.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$3.33 MX$62.1

-45.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.58 $36.58

$5.36 MX$99.8

582.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.44 MX$26.90

6.25%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$20.7K MX$385.0K

34.51%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$23.5K MX$437.2K

10.35%

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

$217 $217

$84.8 MX$1,580

156.41%

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

$80.8 $80.8

$23.41 MX$436

245.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$28.66 MX$534

139.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$117 $117

$57.1 MX$1,063

105.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.41 $28.41

$28.91 MX$539

-1.73%

Cinema Ticket

$20.06 $20.06

$5.14 MX$95.7

290.27%

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

$1,746 $1,746

$207 MX$3,848

745.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

830.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 $62.3

$43.35 MX$808

43.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.38 $41.38

$41.44 MX$772

-0.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 $79.4

$74.2 MX$1,382

6.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$89.3 MX$1,663

16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,338 $4,338

$980 MX$18.2K

342.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,700 $3,700

$381 MX$7,095

871.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,186 $7,186

$1,708 MX$31.8K

320.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,170 $6,170

$1,075 MX$20.0K

473.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K $16.2K

$3,943 MX$73.5K

309.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.0K $16.0K

$6,158 MX$114.7K

159.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,237 $6,237

$735 MX$13.7K

749.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.45

-43.67%

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

Last update for Newport Beach, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newport Beach, CA

$3.7K 71.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 89.7% $3.3K

Groceries & Markets

Newport Beach, CA

$404 7.8%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 37% $149

Eating Out

Newport Beach, CA

$389 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 48% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newport Beach, CA

$367 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 62.7% $230

Sport & Entertainment

Newport Beach, CA

$157 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 57.2% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Newport Beach, CA

$129 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 13.6% $18

Getting Around

Newport Beach, CA

$14 * 0.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 268% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,338 in Newport Beach, CA versus $980 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.

Salaries in Newport Beach, CA are about 8.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Newport Beach, CA versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newport Beach, CA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

01:29 1:29 AM

2 h ahead of Newport Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,186

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Newport Beach, CA Playa del Carmen 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Newport Beach, CA
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

Newport Beach, CA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Newport Beach, CA is pricier by about 328%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,740 per month in Newport Beach, CA and $1,806 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 $980 there versus $4,338 in Newport Beach, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 77% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,746 per month in Newport Beach, CA and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Newport Beach, CA at $5,160. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Newport Beach, CA 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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Newport Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.