Cost of Living Comparison Between Passaic, NJ and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Passaic, NJ and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,769 in Passaic, NJ versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,100 in Passaic, NJ versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,431 in Passaic, NJ versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Passaic, NJ is roughly 120% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Passaic, NJ is 107% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.27 $17.27

$11.67 MX$202

47.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$41.88 MX$726

138.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$10.40 MX$180

14.13%

Cappuccino

$5.81 $5.81

$3.61 MX$62.6

60.94%

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

$2.38 $2.38

$1.47 MX$25.45

61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.91 MX$15.80

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.21 $7.21

$3.03 MX$52.6

137.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$4.47 MX$77.4

58.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.38 MX$23.83

-9.42%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.84 MX$31.93

126.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.59 $5.59

$1.61 MX$27.82

247.20%

Eggs

$6.65 $6.65

$2.57 MX$44.52

158.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.31 $17.31

$8.49 MX$147

103.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 $10.41

$8.49 MX$147

22.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 $19.64

$10.99 MX$190

78.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$2.73 MX$47.25

108.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.50 MX$25.92

62.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.96 MX$33.93

115.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.12 MX$36.70

112.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.86 MX$32.30

106.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$2.17 MX$37.67

83.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.07 MX$18.59

171.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.05 MX$18.18

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.34 $17.34

$4.19 MX$72.6

313.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 $14.70

$10.28 MX$178

43.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.67 MX$28.87

7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.49 MX$43.12

51.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.54 MX$9.37

261.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 $120

$26.27 MX$455

358.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.10 MX$53.8

-5.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.46 MX$42.66

-10.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.60 $42.60

$3.24 MX$56.1

1214.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.26 MX$21.83

-26.98%

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

$23.6K $23.6K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-21.68%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

8.78%

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

$180 $180

$84.0 MX$1,456

114.07%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$22.21 MX$385

141.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 $58.8

$29.65 MX$514

98.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.55 $42.55

$52.6 MX$912

-19.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

Cinema Ticket

$19.74 $19.74

$4.95 MX$85.7

298.79%

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

$1,496 $1,496

$198 MX$3,438

654.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

198.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.87 $49.87

$35.95 MX$623

38.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.42 $47.42

$40.06 MX$694

18.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 $86.1

$78.8 MX$1,365

9.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

$86.5 MX$1,499

15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 $1,600

$977 MX$16.9K

63.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,350 $1,350

$471 MX$8,158

186.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,595 MX$27.6K

61.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,197 $2,197

$1,215 MX$21.1K

80.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,701 $2,701

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-33.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,328 $2,328

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-64.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

11.42

-43.61%

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

Last update for Passaic, NJ: April 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,600 in Passaic, NJ and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $100 in Passaic, NJ vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 120% lower than in Passaic, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,154 in Passaic, NJ and $1,891 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: $1,600 in Passaic, NJ versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Passaic, NJ. 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 $42.00 versus $100 in Passaic, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,769 in Passaic, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Passaic, NJ. 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 – similar infrastructure at $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Passaic, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.