Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gresham, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,758 in Gresham, OR, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Gresham, OR, United States
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Gresham, OR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,758
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Gresham, OR

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 Gresham, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,758 in Gresham, OR.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Gresham, OR $2,758

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,721 in Gresham, OR.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Gresham, OR $3,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,684 in Gresham, OR.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Gresham, OR $4,684

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 56% less than in Gresham, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Gresham, OR is 103% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Gresham, OR
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$25.35 $25.35
-56.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$83.7 $83.7
-48.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$12.27 $12.27
-3.99%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$6.08 $6.08
-37.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$2.94 $2.94
-56.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$1.67 $1.67
-53.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$6.40 $6.40
-50.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$6.92 $6.92
-28.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Gresham, OR
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.04 $1.04
35.58%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$4.21 $4.21
-47.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$3.18 $3.18
-55.35%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$4.24 $4.24
-40.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$12.08 $12.08
-39.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$10.52 $10.52
-26.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$17.30 $17.30
-26.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$4.47 $4.47
-37.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$1.63 $1.63
-15.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$2.69 $2.69
-5.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$2.55 $2.55
-16.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$2.20 $2.20
-11.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$1.79 $1.79
5.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$2.07 $2.07
-44.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$1.77 $1.77
-33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$12.12 $12.12
-64.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$11.19 $11.19
-11.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$2.14 $2.14
-26.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$2.44 $2.44
9.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Gresham, OR
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$2.82 $2.82
-80.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$4.47 $4.47
11.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$0.71 $0.71
369.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$23.91 $23.91
-77.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$1.30 $1.30
10.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$28.6K $28.6K
-27.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$27.0K $27.0K
-13.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Gresham, OR
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$199 $199
-57.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$71.6 $71.6
-67.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$67.4 $67.4
-57.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Gresham, OR
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$30.12 $30.12
89.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$11.94 $11.94
-56.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Gresham, OR
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$1,335 $1,335
-84.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$13.2K $13.2K
-70.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Gresham, OR
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$40.31 $40.31
7.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$30.49 $30.49
35.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$84.6 $84.6
-12.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$83.8 $83.8
6.49%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Gresham, OR
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$1,626 $1,626
-39.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$1,506 $1,506
-74.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$2,825 $2,825
-39.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$1,875 $1,875
-42.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Gresham, OR
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$3,984 $3,984
-81.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.7
70.90%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Gresham, OR: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Gresham, OR
$1.5K 296% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Gresham, OR
$356 39.8% $101
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Gresham, OR
$377 86.2% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Gresham, OR
$338 147% $201
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Gresham, OR
$108 3.7% $4.1
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Gresham, OR
$54 19.8% $13
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Gresham, OR
$19 * 61.7% $31

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 $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,626 in Gresham, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gresham, OR pays about 5.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $84 in Gresham, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $356 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇺🇸 Gresham, OR
🕒 Local time
18:12 6:12 PM
16:12 4:12 PM
2 h behind Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
114,247
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Gresham, OR 4,240 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Gresham, OR

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 Gresham, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Playa del Carmen and in Gresham, OR?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,758 in Gresham, OR, so Playa del Carmen is about 56% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 82% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Gresham, OR?
Rent for a central apartment: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,626 in Gresham, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Playa del Carmen and Gresham, OR?
Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,335 in Gresham, OR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $84 in Gresham, OR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,758 in Gresham, OR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gresham, OR. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Gresham, OR?
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.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Gresham, OR?
It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Gresham, OR on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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