Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ellsworth, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,720 in Ellsworth, ME, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Ellsworth, ME
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Ellsworth, ME Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Ellsworth, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,720

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ellsworth, ME

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 Ellsworth, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,720 in Ellsworth, ME.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Ellsworth, ME $2,720

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,044 in Ellsworth, ME.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ellsworth, ME $4,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,368 in Ellsworth, ME.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Ellsworth, ME $5,368

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 56% less than in Ellsworth, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Ellsworth, ME is 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$16.57 $16.57

-35.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$121 $121

-63.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$14.85 $14.85

-20.61%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$5.05 $5.05

-24.95%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$3.09 $3.09

-57.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$2.47 $2.47

-66.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$7.82 $7.82

-59.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$7.81 $7.81

-36.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.10 $1.10

28.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$4.55 $4.55

-51.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$8.52 $8.52

-82.75%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.47

$4.04 $4.04

-38.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$15.59 $15.59

-53.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$7.60 $7.60

4.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$16.12 $16.12

-20.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$4.71 $4.71

-38.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.72 $1.72

-19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.36

$5.85 $5.85

-57.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.78

$6.65 $6.65

-69.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.69

$6.28 $6.28

-67.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$3.70 $3.70

-48.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$3.32 $3.32

-65.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.06

$2.49 $2.49

-50.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$12.06 $12.06

-64.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$15.07 $15.07

-34.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.86 $1.86

-14.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$2.61 $2.61

5.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$1.73 $1.73

-70.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$60.6 $60.6

-54.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$4.10 $4.10

16.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$2.21 $2.21

47.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$30.57 $30.57

-82.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.10 $1.10

39.09%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

-21.36%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$26.5K $26.5K

-12.15%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$179 $179

-53.31%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$68.9 $68.9

-66.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$77.5 $77.5

-64.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$38.83 $38.83

45.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$13.82 $13.82

-63.82%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$1,272 $1,272

-83.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.4K

$27.6K $27.6K

-81.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$53.5 $53.5

-18.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$80.8 $80.8

-47.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$104 $104

-29.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$132 $132

-33.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$1,602 $1,602

-37.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$1,320 $1,320

-71.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$2,896 $2,896

-42.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$2,070 $2,070

-47.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$2,909 $2,909

34.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$2,139 $2,139

186.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

281.67%

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 Ellsworth, ME: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Ellsworth, ME

$1.3K 48.5% 245% $937

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Ellsworth, ME

$445 16.3% 72.7% $187

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Ellsworth, ME

$315 11.6% 57.1% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Ellsworth, ME

$325 12% 142% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Ellsworth, ME

$166 6.1% 49.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Ellsworth, ME

$66 2.4% 0.1% $0

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Ellsworth, ME

$83 3% 63.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,602 in Ellsworth, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $121 in Ellsworth, ME for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $445 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Ellsworth, ME

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

8,500

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Ellsworth, ME 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ellsworth, ME

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 Ellsworth, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 56% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,804 in Playa del Carmen and $4,080 in Ellsworth, ME 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,602 in Ellsworth, ME. 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 $2,720 in Ellsworth, ME – Playa del Carmen is about 56% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 55% less than in Ellsworth, ME. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,720 in Ellsworth, ME, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ellsworth, ME. 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 56% less than in Ellsworth, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.