Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oyster Bay, NY and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,789 in Oyster Bay, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Oyster Bay, NY
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Oyster Bay, NY Living Index
57

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

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Oyster Bay, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,789

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,789 in Oyster Bay, NY versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Oyster Bay, NY $2,789
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,148 in Oyster Bay, NY versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Oyster Bay, NY $4,148
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,507 in Oyster Bay, NY versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Oyster Bay, NY $5,507
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Oyster Bay, NY is roughly 132% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oyster Bay, NY is 106% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.67 $24.67

$10.67 MX$199

131.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$43.80 MX$815

131.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.09 $13.09

$11.79 MX$219

11.03%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$3.79 MX$70.5

43.27%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$1.30 MX$24.14

72.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.83 MX$15.51

90.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.14 $9.14

$3.15 MX$58.6

190.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.11 $8.11

$4.93 MX$91.8

64.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.41 MX$26.22

-7.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.20 MX$40.86

93.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$1.47 MX$27.40

311.56%

Eggs

$5.98 $5.98

$2.50 MX$46.47

139.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.29 MX$136

94.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 $10.24

$7.95 MX$148

28.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$12.86 MX$239

56.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.90 MX$53.9

87.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.38 MX$25.74

26.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.49 MX$46.36

70.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$2.03 MX$37.78

159.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.02 MX$37.69

47.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.90 MX$35.42

76.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.14 MX$21.30

156.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.24 MX$23.06

136.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.67 $11.67

$4.27 MX$79.5

173.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 $15.13

$9.81 MX$183

54.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.59 MX$29.51

11.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.75 MX$51.1

29.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.51 MX$9.58

349.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.8 $66.8

$27.39 MX$510

143.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.76 MX$88.6

-38.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$3.25 MX$60.5

-35.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.60 $23.60

$5.39 MX$100

337.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.53 MX$28.44

-24.18%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

31.15%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

13.80%

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

$216 $216

$83.5 MX$1,554

159.29%

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

$74.3 $74.3

$23.19 MX$431

220.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$27.61 MX$514

139.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.46 $39.46

$56.4 MX$1,050

-30.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$15.24 $15.24

$5.00 MX$93.1

204.80%

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

$1,732 $1,732

$207 MX$3,854

736.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K $20.5K

$5,231 MX$97.4K

291.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.05 $49.05

$43.45 MX$809

12.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 $58.5

$42.54 MX$792

37.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 $88.2

$72.8 MX$1,354

21.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$88.4 MX$1,645

67.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,588 $1,588

$995 MX$18.5K

59.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 $1,292

$382 MX$7,116

237.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,544 $2,544

$1,674 MX$31.2K

51.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$1,081 MX$20.1K

94.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,751 $2,751

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-29.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-61.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,945 $6,945

$832 MX$15.5K

734.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

11.45

-41.31%

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

Last update for Oyster Bay, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oyster Bay, NY

$1.3K 46.3%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 70.4% $910

Groceries & Markets

Oyster Bay, NY

$447 16%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 42.5% $190

Eating Out

Oyster Bay, NY

$379 13.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 47.2% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oyster Bay, NY

$357 12.8%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 62.4% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Oyster Bay, NY

$155 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 28.1% $43

Getting Around

Oyster Bay, NY

$89 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 43.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Oyster Bay, NY

$70 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 5% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,588 in Oyster Bay, NY and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oyster Bay, NY pays about 8.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Oyster Bay, NY vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $447 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oyster Bay, NY

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

Same time as Oyster Bay, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

301,332

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Oyster Bay, NY Playa del Carmen 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Oyster Bay, NY
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

Oyster Bay, NY vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 57% 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 Oyster Bay, NY is about 8.3 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: $1,588 in Oyster Bay, NY versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,789 per month in Oyster Bay, NY versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 57% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 59% less than in Oyster Bay, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,789 in Oyster Bay, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Oyster Bay, NY. 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 57% less than in Oyster Bay, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.