Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Alpharetta, GA

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Alpharetta, GA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Alpharetta, GA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Alpharetta, GA $3,015

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Alpharetta, GA $4,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Alpharetta, GA $5,822

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 60% less than in Alpharetta, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 10% below, Alpharetta, GA is 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$25.92 $25.92

-58.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$81.2 $81.2

-46.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$9.82 $9.82

20.06%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$4.87 $4.87

-20.53%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$2.52 $2.52

-45.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$2.11 $2.11

-60.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$5.78 $5.78

-46.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$7.40 $7.40

-31.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$0.93 $0.93

54.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$4.25 $4.25

-47.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$5.73 $5.73

-74.35%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$4.58 $4.58

-44.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$11.41 $11.41

-36.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$8.73 $8.73

-9.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$20.39 $20.39

-37.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$4.61 $4.61

-37.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$2.14 $2.14

-32.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$4.23 $4.23

-39.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$4.41 $4.41

-53.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$3.65 $3.65

-45.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$3.71 $3.71

-45.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$2.39 $2.39

-50.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$2.77 $2.77

-54.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$8.94 $8.94

-50.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$14.79 $14.79

-35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.72 $1.72

-7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$3.92 $3.92

-28.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$2.94 $2.94

-80.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$94.2 $94.2

-70.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$3.08 $3.08

61.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$2.37 $2.37

47.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$40.78 $40.78

-86.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$0.90 $0.90

63.33%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$32.5K $32.5K

-35.34%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

-9.04%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$252 $252

-66.58%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$53.7 $53.7

-55.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$87.4 $87.4

-66.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$34.02 $34.02

85.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$22.25 $22.25

30.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$16.81 $16.81

-70.61%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$1,298 $1,298

-84.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$16.0K $16.0K

-75.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$77.0 $77.0

-43.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$44.98 $44.98

-4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$128 $128

-40.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$139 $139

-36.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$2,105 $2,105

-52.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$1,488 $1,488

-74.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$3,000 $3,000

-43.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$2,491 $2,491

-55.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$7,659 $7,659

-48.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$5,366 $5,366

14.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$6,390 $6,390

-88.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.84

67.40%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3% 298% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7% 60.2% $156

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9% 76.7% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13% 186% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8% 54.7% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2% 7.2% $5.2

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4% 130% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 747% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $414 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

13:58 1:58 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

65,799

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Alpharetta, GA 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Alpharetta, GA

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

Playa del Carmen vs Alpharetta, GA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 149% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 747% lower in Alpharetta, GA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 238% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $204 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Alpharetta, GA. 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 Alpharetta, GA, 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 149% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.