Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Auburn, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,013 in Auburn, AL, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, AL
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Auburn, AL Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Auburn, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,013

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Auburn, AL

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 Auburn, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,013 in Auburn, AL.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Auburn, AL $2,013

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,941 in Auburn, AL.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Auburn, AL $2,941

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,870 in Auburn, AL.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Auburn, AL $3,870

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 40% less than in Auburn, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Auburn, AL is 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$13.18 $13.18

-17.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$47.90 $47.90

-7.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$10.60 $10.60

10.94%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$5.11 $5.11

-27.98%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$2.44 $2.44

-45.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.72 $1.72

-52.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$4.97 $4.97

-38.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$6.12 $6.12

-19.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.09 $1.09

34.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$3.64 $3.64

-39.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$5.53 $5.53

-73.24%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$4.28 $4.28

-41.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$11.81 $11.81

-36.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$6.21 $6.21

28.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$10.76 $10.76

16.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$4.99 $4.99

-44.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.19 $1.19

20.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.48 $2.48

5.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$2.86 $2.86

-25.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.85 $1.85

9.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$2.20 $2.20

-9.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.00 $2.00

-43.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$1.85 $1.85

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$6.67 $6.67

-36.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$12.42 $12.42

-19.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.68 $1.68

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$5.11 $5.11

-47.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.78 $0.78

85.90%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$35.5K $35.5K

-35.17%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$207 $207

-58.83%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$54.6 $54.6

-57.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$64.1 $64.1

-55.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$64.5 $64.5

-3.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$15.19 $15.19

-66.43%

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

$201 MX$3,715

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$49.99 $49.99

-11.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$48.26 $48.26

-14.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$67.9 $67.9

7.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$65.5 $65.5

36.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,288 $1,288

-23.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$910 $910

-59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$2,090 $2,090

-19.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$1,592 $1,592

-31.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,054 $2,054

92.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$2,059 $2,059

198.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$4,356 $4,356

-83.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.39

79.19%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Auburn, AL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Auburn, AL

$910 45.2% 144% $537

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Auburn, AL

$325 16.2% 25.9% $67

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Auburn, AL

$252 12.5% 26% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Auburn, AL

$326 16.2% 138% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Auburn, AL

$104 5.2% 6.6% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Auburn, AL

$95 4.7% 31.1% $22

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Auburn, AL

- * 0% 100%

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 $979 in Playa del Carmen and $1,288 in Auburn, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Auburn, AL pays 491% 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: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $48.00 in Auburn, AL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $325 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Auburn, AL

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

76,143

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Auburn, AL 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Auburn, AL

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 Auburn, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Auburn, AL differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $2,013 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 491% lower in Auburn, AL. 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: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,288 in Auburn, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $48.00 in Auburn, AL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,013 in Auburn, AL – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,013 in Auburn, AL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Auburn, AL. 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 67% less than in Auburn, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.