Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Baytown, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,392 in Baytown, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Baytown, TX
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Baytown, TX Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Baytown, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,392

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Baytown, TX

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 Baytown, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,392 in Baytown, TX.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Baytown, TX $2,392

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,033 in Baytown, TX.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Baytown, TX $3,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,675 in Baytown, TX.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Baytown, TX $3,675

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 50% less than in Baytown, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Baytown, TX is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$20.05 $20.05

-46.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$39.27 $39.27

11.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$10.93 $10.93

7.87%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$5.36 $5.36

-29.29%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$2.21 $2.21

-41.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$1.88 $1.88

-55.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$5.27 $5.27

-40.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$5.61 $5.61

-12.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.14 $1.14

23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$2.36 $2.36

-6.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$5.62 $5.62

-73.84%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.47

$3.82 $3.82

-34.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$8.78 $8.78

-16.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$9.64 $9.64

-17.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$21.00 $21.00

-38.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$4.29 $4.29

-32.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.01 $1.01

36.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.36

$5.58 $5.58

-55.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.78

$5.39 $5.39

-62.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.69

$2.83 $2.83

-28.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$5.58 $5.58

-65.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$1.21 $1.21

-5.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.06

$2.06 $2.06

-39.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$6.13 $6.13

-30.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$11.45 $11.45

-14.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$3.59 $3.59

-55.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$4.08 $4.08

-32.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$14.81 $14.81

-63.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.87 $0.87

75.86%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$48.9K $48.9K

-56.66%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$24.7K $24.7K

-5.72%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$200 $200

-58.29%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$39.87 $39.87

-41.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$67.1 $67.1

-58.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$14.77 $14.77

282.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$8.89 $8.89

-43.76%

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

$207 MX$3,854

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$37.17 $37.17

16.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$20.35 $20.35

109.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$61.8 $61.8

17.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$65.8 $65.8

34.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$1,309 $1,309

-23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$1,272 $1,272

-69.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$1,825 $1,825

-8.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$1,360 $1,360

-20.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$3,743 $3,743

-77.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.71

70.64%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Baytown, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Baytown, TX

$1.3K 53.2% 233% $890

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Baytown, TX

$385 16.1% 49.7% $128

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Baytown, TX

$311 13% 55.5% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Baytown, TX

$307 12.8% 129% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Baytown, TX

$83 3.5% 25.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Baytown, TX

$33 1.4% 51% $34

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Baytown, TX

- * 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 $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,309 in Baytown, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baytown, TX pays about 4.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $39 in Baytown, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $257 vs $385, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Baytown, TX

🕒 Local time

18:19 6:19 PM

17:19 5:19 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

75,418

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Baytown, TX 1,290 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Baytown, TX

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 Baytown, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Baytown, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 78% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,309 in Baytown, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,392 in Baytown, TX – Playa del Carmen is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Baytown, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,392 in Baytown, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Baytown, TX. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Baytown, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.