Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Helena, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $3,107 in Helena, MT, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 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
153

Cost of Living Index in Helena, MT
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Helena, MT Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Helena, MT

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 Helena, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,107 in Helena, MT.

Playa del Carmen $1,215
Helena, MT $3,107

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,144 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,494 in Helena, MT.

Playa del Carmen $2,144
Helena, MT $4,494

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,882 in Helena, MT.

Playa del Carmen $3,072
Helena, MT $5,882

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 61% less than in Helena, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 9% below, Helena, MT is 132% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$201

$21.52 $21.52

-49.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.85 MX$823

$101 $101

-55.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 MX$219

$17.96 $17.96

-33.63%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$69.9

$4.99 $4.99

-23.85%

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

$1.31 MX$24.08

$2.21 $2.21

-40.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 MX$15.72

$1.72 $1.72

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$59.0

$4.92 $4.92

-34.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 MX$92.0

$6.83 $6.83

-26.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.77

$1.07 $1.07

36.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 MX$42.72

$3.71 $3.71

-37.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.48

$4.45 $4.45

-67.64%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.20

$3.76 $3.76

-34.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$141

$17.68 $17.68

-56.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.89 MX$145

$8.78 $8.78

-10.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.80 MX$235

$20.13 $20.13

-36.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 MX$53.6

$4.58 $4.58

-36.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.11

$1.82 $1.82

-21.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 MX$47.10

$4.62 $4.62

-44.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.24

$3.98 $3.98

-46.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 MX$35.75

$2.15 $2.15

-9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.55

$1.54 $1.54

25.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.13

$1.65 $1.65

-30.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.42

$1.56 $1.56

-21.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.38 MX$80.3

$10.39 $10.39

-57.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 MX$181

$12.78 $12.78

-22.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.23

$1.69 $1.69

-8.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$49.86

$2.49 $2.49

9.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.64

$3.58 $3.58

-85.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$503

$59.2 $59.2

-53.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 MX$90.2

$10.03 $10.03

-51.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.52 MX$64.7

$3.33 $3.33

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.69 MX$104

$44.80 $44.80

-87.30%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

-41.10%

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

$24.5K MX$449.6K

$31.1K $31.1K

-21.25%

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

$83.6 MX$1,535

$369 $369

-77.35%

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

$24.03 MX$441

$68.1 $68.1

-64.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.33 MX$539

$93.0 $93.0

-68.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.9 MX$1,191

$52.0 $52.0

24.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$541

$14.90 $14.90

97.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.09 MX$93.4

$12.19 $12.19

-58.24%

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

$208 MX$3,813

$1,962 $1,962

-89.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$74.3K

$27.6K $27.6K

-85.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.55 MX$818

$65.4 $65.4

-31.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 MX$772

$120 $120

-64.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,387

$81.0 $81.0

-6.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,678

$121 $121

-24.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 MX$18.1K

$1,756 $1,756

-43.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$7,072

$1,547 $1,547

-75.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 MX$31.5K

$2,940 $2,940

-41.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MX$20.4K

$2,450 $2,450

-54.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 MX$73.7K

$3,548 $3,548

13.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,247 MX$114.7K

$2,944 $2,944

112.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

$6,710 $6,710

-88.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.56

74.54%

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 Helena, MT: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4%

Helena, MT

$1.5K 49.1% 302% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2%

Helena, MT

$384 12.2% 47.5% $124

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6%

Helena, MT

$340 10.8% 66.6% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2%

Helena, MT

$530 16.8% 287% $393

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3%

Helena, MT

$175 5.5% 53% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1%

Helena, MT

$76 2.4% 1.8% $1.4

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2%

Helena, MT

$100 3.2% 92.5% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Playa del Carmen and $1,756 in Helena, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helena, MT pays 785% 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 $101 in Helena, MT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $384 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

32,091

💱 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 Helena, MT 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Helena, MT

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 Helena, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Helena, MT differ by about 156% in total monthly costs ($1,215 vs $3,107 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 785% lower in Helena, MT. 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: $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,756 in Helena, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,962 in Helena, MT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Helena, MT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,215 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,107 in Helena, MT, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Helena, MT. 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Helena, MT are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 156% less than in Helena, MT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.