Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Charles Town, WV

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,093 in Charles Town, WV, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Charles Town, WV
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Charles Town, WV Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Charles Town, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$2,093

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Charles Town, WV

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 Charles Town, WV actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,093 in Charles Town, WV.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Charles Town, WV $2,093

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,347 in Charles Town, WV.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Charles Town, WV $3,347

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,601 in Charles Town, WV.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Charles Town, WV $4,601

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 42% less than in Charles Town, WV, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 9% below, Charles Town, WV is 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$13.25 $13.25

-17.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$60.5 $60.5

-25.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$7.33 $7.33

62.62%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$3.97 $3.97

-4.28%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$2.70 $2.70

-51.48%

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

$4.86 $4.86

-33.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$7.97 $7.97

-37.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.69 $1.69

-13.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$4.49 $4.49

-48.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$7.17 $7.17

-79.92%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$7.88 $7.88

-68.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$16.72 $16.72

-53.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$10.98 $10.98

-28.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$15.61 $15.61

-18.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$4.71 $4.71

-38.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$1.26 $1.26

12.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$5.36 $5.36

-52.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$5.40 $5.40

-60.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$3.07 $3.07

-36.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$2.03 $2.03

-4.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$2.06 $2.06

-44.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$2.78 $2.78

-56.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$13.74 $13.74

-68.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$14.88 $14.88

-33.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$1.68 $1.68

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$5.22 $5.22

-47.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$1.74 $1.74

-70.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$3.29 $3.29

49.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$2.00 $2.00

76.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$29.45 $29.45

-80.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$0.99 $0.99

55.56%

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

$21.2K MX$389.9K

$30.0K $30.0K

-29.09%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$22.1K $22.1K

10.76%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$151 $151

-44.68%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$49.90 $49.90

-51.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$71.7 $71.7

-59.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$47.26 $47.26

37.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$16.97 $16.97

-70.01%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$2,213 $2,213

-90.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$23.4K $23.4K

-82.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$47.73 $47.73

-6.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$36.59 $36.59

14.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$112 $112

-32.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$119 $119

-23.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$1,194 $1,194

-17.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$892 $892

-56.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$2,075 $2,075

-17.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$1,931 $1,931

-42.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$2,708 $2,708

48.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$2,340 $2,340

166.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

129.00%

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 Charles Town, WV: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Charles Town, WV

$892 42.5% 132% $507

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Charles Town, WV

$457 21.8% 75.5% $197

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Charles Town, WV

$234 11.2% 14.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Charles Town, WV

$273 13% 99.1% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Charles Town, WV

$142 6.8% 24.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Charles Town, WV

$81 3.9% 8.2% $6.2

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Charles Town, WV

$20 * 1% 61.1% $32

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 $1,194 in Charles Town, WV. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $61.0 in Charles Town, WV for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $457 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Charles Town, WV

🕒 Local time

16:06 4:06 PM

17:06 5:06 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

6,500

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 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).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Charles Town, WV 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Charles Town, WV

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 Charles Town, WV: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Charles Town, WV. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,823 in Playa del Carmen and $3,139 in Charles Town, WV 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: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,194 in Charles Town, WV. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Charles Town, WV. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,093 in Charles Town, WV – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,093 in Charles Town, WV, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Charles Town, WV. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,215 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Charles Town, WV. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.