Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Brunswick, NJ and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in North Brunswick, NJ
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North Brunswick, NJ Living Index
59

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

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North Brunswick, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,641

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

North Brunswick, NJ $2,641
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,632 in North Brunswick, NJ versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

North Brunswick, NJ $3,632
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,623 in North Brunswick, NJ versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

North Brunswick, NJ $4,623
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in North Brunswick, NJ is roughly 119% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: North Brunswick, NJ is 95% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.38 $20.38

$10.86 MX$201

87.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 $60.4

$44.21 MX$817

36.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$11.76 MX$217

2.47%

Cappuccino

$3.04 $3.04

$3.68 MX$68.0

-17.39%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.34 MX$24.79

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$0.82 MX$15.24

43.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 $6.64

$3.06 MX$56.6

116.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.94 MX$91.2

20.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.47 MX$27.17

-24.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.22 MX$40.95

-27.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$1.48 MX$27.32

279.73%

Eggs

$4.59 $4.59

$2.49 MX$45.99

84.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$7.52 MX$139

75.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.20 $17.20

$7.96 MX$147

116.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$12.57 MX$232

26.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.78 MX$51.3

42.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.43 MX$26.37

30.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.62 MX$48.37

62.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.14 MX$39.49

181.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.02 MX$37.38

59.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.99 MX$36.74

69.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.14 MX$21.01

103.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.20 MX$22.18

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.66 $14.66

$4.26 MX$78.7

244.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 $18.04

$10.02 MX$185

80.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.54 MX$28.41

68.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.66 MX$49.17

54.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.53 MX$9.73

275.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 $2.81

$4.90 MX$90.6

-42.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.67 $3.67

$3.43 MX$63.5

7.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.62 $49.62

$5.38 MX$99.4

822.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.45 MX$26.76

-31.72%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

29.47%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

15.06%

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

$127 $127

$85.4 MX$1,577

48.73%

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

$47.32 $47.32

$23.46 MX$434

101.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 $56.7

$28.43 MX$525

99.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.51 $47.51

$62.2 MX$1,149

-23.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$13.03 $13.03

$5.10 MX$94.3

155.49%

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

$1,418 $1,418

$201 MX$3,715

605.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

489.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$44.39 MX$820

21.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 $50.5

$41.35 MX$764

22.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$72.7 MX$1,344

68.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$89.6 MX$1,656

46.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 $1,430

$979 MX$18.1K

46.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$373 MX$6,887

281.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 $2,221

$1,681 MX$31.1K

32.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,902 $1,902

$1,095 MX$20.2K

73.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 $2,715

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-31.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,046 $2,046

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-66.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.01

11.45

-38.78%

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

Last update for North Brunswick, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North Brunswick, NJ

$1.4K 53.9%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 73.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

North Brunswick, NJ

$427 16.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 39.5% $169

Eating Out

North Brunswick, NJ

$296 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 32.4% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Brunswick, NJ

$231 8.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 40.6% $94

Clothing & Footwear

North Brunswick, NJ

$161 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 30.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

North Brunswick, NJ

$74 2.8%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 1.6% $1.2

Getting Around

North Brunswick, NJ

$29 * 1.1%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 77.5% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,430 in North Brunswick, NJ and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in North Brunswick, NJ vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $427 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 North Brunswick, NJ

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:10 11:10 PM

22:10 10:10 PM

1 h behind North Brunswick, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,905

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

North Brunswick, NJ Playa del Carmen 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

North Brunswick, 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

North Brunswick, NJ vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 119% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,962 in North Brunswick, NJ and $1,806 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: $1,430 in North Brunswick, NJ versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,418 in North Brunswick, NJ 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 $44.00 versus $60.0 in North Brunswick, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in North Brunswick, NJ. 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 North Brunswick, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, North Brunswick, NJ and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in North Brunswick, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.