Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oxford, MS and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,371 in Oxford, MS, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Oxford, MS
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Oxford, MS Living Index
58

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

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Oxford, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,371

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,371 in Oxford, MS versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Oxford, MS $2,371
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,947 in Oxford, MS versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Oxford, MS $3,947
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,523 in Oxford, MS versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Oxford, MS $5,523
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Oxford, MS is roughly 97% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oxford, MS is 74% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.95 $16.95

$10.92 MX$204

55.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.7 $59.7

$43.37 MX$808

37.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$11.78 MX$220

-4.92%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$3.81 MX$71.0

34.65%

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

$1.50 $1.50

$1.28 MX$23.90

17.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.78 MX$14.59

142.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.17 MX$59.0

41.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 $7.02

$4.93 MX$92.0

42.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.41 MX$26.22

-39.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.22 MX$41.33

43.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.42 MX$26.42

82.39%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$2.52 MX$47.03

59.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 $9.37

$7.26 MX$135

29.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.37 $11.37

$7.70 MX$143

47.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.38 $15.38

$12.69 MX$237

21.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.78 MX$51.9

41.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.37 MX$25.50

2.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.55 MX$47.55

30.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.12 MX$39.58

46.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.94 MX$36.13

29.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.89 MX$35.16

19.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.15 MX$21.37

57.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.18 MX$21.98

61.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.39 $7.39

$4.30 MX$80.1

71.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.95 MX$185

21.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.58 MX$29.52

8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.67 MX$49.79

19.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.97 MX$92.6

-12.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.33 MX$62.1

-44.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.48 $32.48

$5.36 MX$99.8

505.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.44 MX$26.92

-48.61%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

46.64%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

9.71%

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

$139 $139

$84.8 MX$1,581

63.93%

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

$49.93 $49.93

$23.41 MX$436

113.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$28.66 MX$534

136.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.84 $24.84

$57.1 MX$1,063

-56.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$11.82 $11.82

$5.14 MX$95.8

129.96%

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

$1,552 $1,552

$207 MX$3,851

651.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,269 $8,269

$3,927 MX$73.2K

110.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$43.35 MX$808

42.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 $53.5

$41.44 MX$772

29.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 $88.0

$74.2 MX$1,383

18.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 $169

$89.3 MX$1,664

89.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 $1,308

$980 MX$18.3K

33.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 $1,267

$381 MX$7,099

232.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,163 $3,163

$1,708 MX$31.8K

85.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,075 MX$20.0K

186.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,287 $3,287

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-16.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,920 $2,920

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-52.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,833 $4,833

$735 MX$13.7K

557.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

11.45

-41.92%

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

Last update for Oxford, MS: October 26, 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

Oxford, MS

$1.3K 53.5%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 70% $886

Groceries & Markets

Oxford, MS

$336 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 24.3% $82

Eating Out

Oxford, MS

$281 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 27.9% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oxford, MS

$257 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 46.7% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Oxford, MS

$168 7.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 33.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Oxford, MS

$48 2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 38.9% $19

Getting Around

Oxford, MS

$14 * 0.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 270% $37

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 $1,308 in Oxford, MS and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oxford, MS pays about 6.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $60 in Oxford, MS vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oxford, MS

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

Same time as Oxford, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

23,639

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Oxford, MS Playa del Carmen 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Oxford, MS
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

Oxford, MS vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Oxford, MS. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Oxford, MS is about 6.6 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: $1,308 in Oxford, MS 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 32% higher in Oxford, MS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,371 per month in Oxford, MS versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 49% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,371 in Oxford, MS, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Oxford, MS. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value at $1,204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Oxford, MS on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.