Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Orem, UT and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,457 in Orem, UT, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Orem, UT
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Orem, UT Living Index
58

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

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Orem, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,457

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,457 in Orem, UT versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Orem, UT $2,457
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,366 in Orem, UT versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Orem, UT $3,366
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,274 in Orem, UT versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Orem, UT $4,274
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Orem, UT is roughly 104% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Orem, UT is 81% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.05 $15.05

$10.92 MX$204

37.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 $61.1

$43.37 MX$808

40.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 $11.14

$11.78 MX$220

-5.43%

Cappuccino

$4.58 $4.58

$3.81 MX$71.0

20.21%

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

$1.81 $1.81

$1.28 MX$23.90

41.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.78 MX$14.59

94.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.17 MX$59.0

83.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 $6.86

$4.93 MX$92.0

39.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.41 MX$26.22

-30.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.22 MX$41.33

44.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.42 MX$26.42

70.42%

Eggs

$3.07 $3.07

$2.52 MX$47.03

21.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.09 $14.09

$7.26 MX$135

94.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$7.70 MX$143

73.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.84 $18.84

$12.69 MX$237

48.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.78 MX$51.9

5.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.37 MX$25.50

24.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.55 MX$47.55

1.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.12 MX$39.58

110.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.89 MX$35.16

-31.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.15 MX$21.37

46.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.18 MX$21.98

63.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.50 $9.50

$4.30 MX$80.1

120.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$9.95 MX$185

52.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.58 MX$29.52

37.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.67 MX$49.79

10.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.55 MX$10.31

367.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 $84.6

$26.62 MX$496

217.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$4.97 MX$92.6

-70.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 $0.97

$3.33 MX$62.1

-70.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.11 $20.11

$5.36 MX$99.8

275.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.44 MX$26.92

-24.31%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

23.05%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

10.38%

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

$167 $167

$84.8 MX$1,581

96.54%

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

$43.36 $43.36

$23.41 MX$436

85.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.7 $60.7

$28.66 MX$534

111.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.61 $22.61

$57.1 MX$1,063

-60.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$5.14 MX$95.8

193.97%

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

$948 $948

$207 MX$3,851

358.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,866 $9,866

$3,927 MX$73.2K

151.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 $54.0

$43.35 MX$808

24.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.64 $41.64

$41.44 MX$772

0.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 $84.0

$74.2 MX$1,383

13.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$89.3 MX$1,664

47.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,648 $1,648

$980 MX$18.3K

68.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 $1,261

$381 MX$7,099

231.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 $2,210

$1,708 MX$31.8K

29.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,663 $1,663

$1,075 MX$20.0K

54.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 $2,717

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-31.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,182 $2,182

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-64.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,677 $3,677

$735 MX$13.7K

400.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

11.45

-40.35%

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

Last update for Orem, UT: October 25, 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

Orem, UT

$1.3K 51.3%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 69.8% $880

Groceries & Markets

Orem, UT

$366 * 14.9%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 30.5% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Orem, UT

$271 11%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 49.4% $134

Eating Out

Orem, UT

$265 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 23.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Orem, UT

$140 5.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 20.3% $29

Getting Around

Orem, UT

$101 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 50.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Orem, UT

$53 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 27.4% $14

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 $1,648 in Orem, UT and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Orem, UT pays about 5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Orem, UT vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Orem, UT

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:27 4:27 PM

17:27 5:27 PM

1 h ahead of Orem, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,129

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Orem, UT Playa del Carmen 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Orem, UT
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

Orem, UT vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Orem, UT is about 5 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,648 in Orem, UT versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Orem, UT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $61 in Orem, UT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,457 in Orem, UT, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Orem, UT. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Orem, UT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.