Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Highland, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,680 in Highland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Highland, CA
Learn more

Highland, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Highland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,680

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Highland, CA

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 Highland, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,680 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Highland, CA $2,680

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,015 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Highland, CA $4,015

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,349 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Highland, CA $5,349

Playa del Carmen is about 55% cheaper than Highland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Highland, CA is 98% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$25.04 $25.04

-56.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$78.1 $78.1

-43.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$15.14 $15.14

-22.32%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$5.65 $5.65

-34.87%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$3.08 $3.08

-56.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$2.45 $2.45

-66.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$7.19 $7.19

-57.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$10.03 $10.03

-50.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.34 $1.34

9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$4.69 $4.69

-52.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$4.55 $4.55

-67.47%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$5.29 $5.29

-52.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$11.57 $11.57

-35.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$9.05 $9.05

-12.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$19.55 $19.55

-35.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$4.71 $4.71

-40.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$2.23 $2.23

-35.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$4.02 $4.02

-34.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$5.45 $5.45

-60.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$3.40 $3.40

-40.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$2.91 $2.91

-31.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$1.94 $1.94

-41.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$2.49 $2.49

-51.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$11.72 $11.72

-63.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$14.79 $14.79

-32.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$2.49 $2.49

-38.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$2.78 $2.78

-4.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$2.02 $2.02

-73.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$29.83 $29.83

-7.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$3.05 $3.05

60.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.89 $1.89

81.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$31.72 $31.72

-83.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$1.56 $1.56

-7.05%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$28.4K $28.4K

-25.50%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$26.3K $26.3K

-12.31%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$221 $221

-61.41%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$77.6 $77.6

-69.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$78.7 $78.7

-63.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$40.95 $40.95

51.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$18.20 $18.20

-71.98%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$1,162 $1,162

-82.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$31.8K $31.8K

-87.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$62.8 $62.8

-29.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$47.18 $47.18

-12.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$107 $107

-31.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$104 $104

-13.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,489 $1,489

-34.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$1,219 $1,219

-69.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$2,331 $2,331

-27.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$2,167 $2,167

-49.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$3,106 $3,106

27.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$2,390 $2,390

156.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.31

81.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Highland, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Highland, CA

$1.2K 45.5% 227% $847

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Highland, CA

$420 15.7% 62.5% $161

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Highland, CA

$392 14.6% 95.6% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Highland, CA

$377 14.1% 175% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Highland, CA

$144 5.4% 29.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Highland, CA

$77 2.9% 6.8% $4.9

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Highland, CA

$50 1.9% 2.5% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,489 in Highland, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $78.0 in Highland, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $420 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Highland, CA

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

2 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

51,550

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Highland, CA 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Highland, CA

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 Highland, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $2,680 in Highland, CA – roughly 123% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,021 in Highland, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen and $78.0 in Highland, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,680 in Highland, CA. That's a gap of about 123%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Highland, CA at $2,680. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Highland, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $2,680 in Highland, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Highland, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.