Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oxnard, CA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,186 in Oxnard, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Oxnard, CA
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Oxnard, CA Living Index
59

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

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Oxnard, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Oxnard, CA versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Oxnard, CA $3,186
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,226 in Oxnard, CA versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Oxnard, CA $4,226
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,265 in Oxnard, CA versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Oxnard, CA $5,265
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Oxnard, CA is roughly 163% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oxnard, CA is 136% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.32 $20.32

$10.76 MX$199

88.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.1 $65.1

$43.03 MX$795

51.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 $11.71

$11.79 MX$218

-0.68%

Cappuccino

$5.76 $5.76

$3.87 MX$71.4

48.84%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.37 MX$25.29

96.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.84 MX$15.44

141.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.10 MX$57.3

160.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.48 $9.48

$5.07 MX$93.6

86.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.44 MX$26.55

-17.36%

White Bread (500g)

$5.71 $5.71

$2.23 MX$41.23

156.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.47 MX$27.17

192.52%

Eggs

$4.98 $4.98

$2.53 MX$46.71

96.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$7.30 MX$135

69.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.32 $20.32

$7.86 MX$145

158.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 $13.99

$12.79 MX$236

9.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.90 MX$53.6

51.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.44 MX$26.53

23.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.55 MX$47.07

62.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$2.06 MX$38.03

220.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.00 MX$36.97

79.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.01 MX$37.07

-2.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.19 MX$22.02

100.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.26 MX$23.23

73.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.40 MX$81.4

124.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$9.59 MX$177

54.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.59 MX$29.41

11.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.81 MX$51.9

15.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.57 MX$10.47

159.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.98 MX$92.1

-12.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$3.50 MX$64.6

-48.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.90 $35.90

$5.40 MX$99.8

564.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.47 MX$27.08

-12.24%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

79.18%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

7.45%

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

$129 $129

$84.2 MX$1,556

52.93%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$23.99 MX$443

121.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$29.02 MX$536

139.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 $61.6

$63.0 MX$1,164

-2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$4.94 MX$91.3

138.26%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$204 MX$3,763

482.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K $42.6K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

981.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.90 $37.90

$43.60 MX$806

-13.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.18 $41.18

$43.12 MX$797

-4.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 $59.1

$75.8 MX$1,400

-22.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 $81.0

$88.6 MX$1,637

-8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 $1,995

$1,008 MX$18.6K

97.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,922 $1,922

$374 MX$6,911

413.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,359 $3,359

$1,708 MX$31.6K

96.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,106 MX$20.4K

121.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,838 $5,838

$3,944 MX$72.9K

48.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,922 $5,922

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-4.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,379 $3,379

$754 MX$13.9K

347.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

11.45

-46.72%

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

Last update for Oxnard, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oxnard, CA

$1.9K 60.3%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 80.5% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Oxnard, CA

$465 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 44.4% $206

Eating Out

Oxnard, CA

$345 10.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 41.4% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oxnard, CA

$251 7.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 45.4% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Oxnard, CA

$99 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 14.6% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Oxnard, CA

$85 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 14.4% $12

Getting Around

Oxnard, CA

$19 * 0.6%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 171% $33

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 $1,995 in Oxnard, CA and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oxnard, CA pays 348% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Oxnard, CA vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $465 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oxnard, CA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

19:15 7:15 PM

2 h ahead of Oxnard, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

207,254

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Oxnard, CA Playa del Carmen 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Oxnard, 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 348% higher in Oxnard, CA, 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: $1,995 in Oxnard, CA versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Oxnard, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,186 per month in Oxnard, CA versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 163% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,186 in Oxnard, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Oxnard, CA. 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 Oxnard, CA, 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 163% less than in Oxnard, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.