Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Brownsburg, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,333 in Brownsburg, IN, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,215
/mo nomad
Brownsburg, IN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,333
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Brownsburg, IN

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 Brownsburg, IN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,333 in Brownsburg, IN.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,215
  • Brownsburg, IN $2,333

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,294 in Brownsburg, IN.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,144
  • Brownsburg, IN $3,294

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,256 in Brownsburg, IN.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,072
  • Brownsburg, IN $4,256

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 48% less than in Brownsburg, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 9% below, Brownsburg, IN is 74% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Brownsburg, IN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.97 MX$201
$20.15 $20.15
-45.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.85 MX$823
$74.6 $74.6
-39.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.92 MX$219
$11.53 $11.53
3.38%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$69.9
$5.28 $5.28
-28.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.08
$2.71 $2.71
-51.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 MX$15.72
$1.96 $1.96
-56.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.21 MX$59.0
$6.12 $6.12
-47.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.01 MX$92.0
$7.46 $7.46
-32.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Brownsburg, IN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 MX$26.77
$0.81 $0.81
80.25%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 MX$42.72
$1.82 $1.82
28.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.48
$4.31 $4.31
-66.59%
Eggs
$2.46 MX$45.20
$3.02 $3.02
-18.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.70 MX$141
$12.37 $12.37
-37.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.89 MX$145
$8.60 $8.60
-8.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.80 MX$235
$16.86 $16.86
-24.08%
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 MX$53.6
$4.95 $4.95
-41.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.11
$1.82 $1.82
-21.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 MX$47.10
$4.28 $4.28
-39.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.24
$4.57 $4.57
-53.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.75
$2.74 $2.74
-28.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 MX$35.55
$2.92 $2.92
-33.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.13
$2.17 $2.17
-47.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.42
$1.69 $1.69
-27.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.38 MX$80.3
$10.17 $10.17
-56.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.85 MX$181
$12.08 $12.08
-18.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.23
$1.93 $1.93
-20.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 MX$49.86
$3.42 $3.42
-20.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Brownsburg, IN
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.64
$1.90 $1.90
-72.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.42 MX$503
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 MX$90.2
$2.95 $2.95
66.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.52 MX$64.7
$1.58 $1.58
122.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 MX$104
$28.64 $28.64
-80.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 MX$28.27
$0.88 $0.88
75.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$389.9K
$36.6K $36.6K
-41.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$449.6K
$25.4K $25.4K
-3.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Brownsburg, IN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.6 MX$1,535
$227 $227
-63.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.03 MX$441
$79.9 $79.9
-69.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.33 MX$539
$83.4 $83.4
-64.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Brownsburg, IN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 MX$1,191
$42.00 $42.00
54.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.46 MX$541
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$93.4
$13.58 $13.58
-62.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Brownsburg, IN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$208 MX$3,813
$1,398 $1,398
-85.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,045 MX$74.3K
$24.9K $24.9K
-83.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Brownsburg, IN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.55 MX$818
$45.13 $45.13
-1.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.06 MX$772
$40.09 $40.09
4.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 MX$1,387
$78.8 $78.8
-4.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.4 MX$1,678
$75.6 $75.6
20.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Brownsburg, IN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$986 MX$18.1K
$1,276 $1,276
-22.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 MX$7,072
$1,081 $1,081
-64.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,713 MX$31.5K
$1,728 $1,728
-0.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,108 MX$20.4K
$1,587 $1,587
-30.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,016 MX$73.7K
$2,836 $2,836
41.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,247 MX$114.7K
$2,620 $2,620
138.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Brownsburg, IN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$758 MX$13.9K
$8,107 $8,107
-90.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.57
74.28%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Brownsburg, IN: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$385
Brownsburg, IN
$1.1K 181% $696
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$260
Brownsburg, IN
$346 32.8% $85
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$204
Brownsburg, IN
$323 58.5% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Brownsburg, IN
$390 185% $254
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$114
Brownsburg, IN
$108 5.5% $6.3
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$75
Brownsburg, IN
$69 7.8% $5.9
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Brownsburg, IN
$18 * 64.6% $34

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 $986 in Playa del Carmen and $1,276 in Brownsburg, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brownsburg, IN pays 969% 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: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $75.0 in Brownsburg, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $346 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇺🇸 Brownsburg, IN
🕒 Local time
04:50 4:50 AM
05:50 5:50 AM
1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
18,850
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Brownsburg, IN 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Brownsburg, IN

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 Brownsburg, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brownsburg, IN cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Playa del Carmen or Brownsburg, IN?
On paper, salaries run 969% lower in Brownsburg, IN. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Brownsburg, IN?
Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,276 in Brownsburg, IN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Brownsburg, IN?
Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Brownsburg, IN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Brownsburg, IN?
All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,333 in Brownsburg, IN – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Brownsburg, IN?
At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,333 in Brownsburg, IN, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Brownsburg, IN. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Playa del Carmen or Brownsburg, IN more family-friendly?
For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brownsburg, IN, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Brownsburg, IN?
Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Brownsburg, IN are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Brownsburg, IN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?