Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plantation, FL and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,632 in Plantation, FL, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Plantation, FL
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Plantation, FL Living Index
57

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

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Plantation, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,632

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,632 in Plantation, FL versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Plantation, FL $2,632
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,845 in Plantation, FL versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Plantation, FL $3,845
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,058 in Plantation, FL versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Plantation, FL $5,058
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Plantation, FL is roughly 119% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Plantation, FL is 95% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.93 $18.93

$10.67 MX$200

77.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$43.80 MX$823

68.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$11.79 MX$221

-7.38%

Cappuccino

$4.94 $4.94

$3.79 MX$71.1

30.34%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$1.30 MX$24.36

97.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.83 MX$15.65

138.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.15 MX$59.1

93.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.93 MX$92.7

38.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.41 MX$26.46

-26.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.20 MX$41.23

61.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$1.47 MX$27.66

188.44%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$2.50 MX$46.89

68.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.30 $12.30

$7.29 MX$137

68.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$7.95 MX$149

41.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 $15.37

$12.86 MX$242

19.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.90 MX$54.4

63.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.38 MX$25.98

18.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.49 MX$46.78

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.03 MX$38.12

135.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.02 MX$38.03

36.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.90 MX$35.74

45.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.14 MX$21.49

75.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.24 MX$23.27

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 $9.62

$4.27 MX$80.2

125.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 $14.21

$9.81 MX$184

44.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.59 MX$29.78

10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.75 MX$51.6

24.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.51 MX$9.67

303.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.9 $60.9

$27.39 MX$514

122.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 $3.42

$4.76 MX$89.4

-28.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.25 MX$61.0

-51.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.75 $28.75

$5.39 MX$101

433.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.53 MX$28.70

-40.52%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$21.2K MX$398.4K

39.87%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$23.3K MX$436.9K

12.03%

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

$189 $189

$83.5 MX$1,568

126.57%

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

$51.9 $51.9

$23.19 MX$435

123.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$27.61 MX$519

145.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.05 $43.05

$56.4 MX$1,060

-23.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$13.57 $13.57

$5.00 MX$93.9

171.40%

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

$1,323 $1,323

$207 MX$3,889

538.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$5,231 MX$98.2K

340.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 $51.9

$43.45 MX$816

19.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.43 $40.43

$42.54 MX$799

-4.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$72.8 MX$1,367

20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$88.4 MX$1,660

24.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$995 MX$18.7K

58.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$382 MX$7,181

253.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,654 $2,654

$1,674 MX$31.4K

58.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,235 $2,235

$1,081 MX$20.3K

106.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,822 $2,822

$3,909 MX$73.4K

-27.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,431 $2,431

$6,138 MX$115.3K

-60.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.45

-43.14%

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

Last update for Plantation, FL: November 2, 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

Plantation, FL

$1.4K 51.4%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 71.7% $969

Groceries & Markets

Plantation, FL

$384 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 33% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plantation, FL

$309 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 56.5% $175

Eating Out

Plantation, FL

$306 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 34.5% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Plantation, FL

$131 5%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 14.9% $19

Getting Around

Plantation, FL

$80 3.1%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 37.3% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Plantation, FL

$70 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 5.3% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Plantation, FL and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74 in Plantation, FL vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Plantation, FL

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

Same time as Plantation, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,938

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Plantation, FL Playa del Carmen 930 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Plantation, FL
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

Plantation, FL vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,948 in Plantation, FL and $1,804 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: $1,572 in Plantation, FL versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,323 in Plantation, FL versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Plantation, FL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,632 in Plantation, FL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Plantation, FL. 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 54% less than in Plantation, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.