Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jackson, MS

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,025 in Jackson, MS, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Jackson, MS, United States
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Jackson, MS
🇺🇸 United States
$2,025
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Jackson, MS

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 Jackson, MS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,025 in Jackson, MS, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Jackson, MS $2,025

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,848 in Jackson, MS, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Jackson, MS $2,848

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,672 in Jackson, MS, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Jackson, MS $3,672

Playa del Carmen is about 41% cheaper than Jackson, MS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Jackson, MS is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Jackson, MS
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$17.53 $17.53
-37.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$813
$60.3 $60.3
-28.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$9.55 $9.55
23.35%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.4
$4.31 $4.31
-11.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.03
$1.64 $1.64
-21.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.67
$1.62 $1.62
-51.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.3
$4.06 $4.06
-21.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.5
$4.09 $4.09
20.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Jackson, MS
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.35
$0.91 $0.91
54.95%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.54
$3.04 $3.04
-26.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.56
$3.99 $3.99
-64.41%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.27
$3.78 $3.78
-33.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$136
$8.46 $8.46
-14.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$144
$11.14 $11.14
-30.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$238
$6.94 $6.94
82.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.2
$5.69 $5.69
-51.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.64
$1.10 $1.10
24.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.80
$1.45 $1.45
75.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.78
$4.93 $4.93
-57.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.32
$3.09 $3.09
-37.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.34
$2.01 $2.01
-5.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.49
$1.51 $1.51
-23.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.09
$2.22 $2.22
-46.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.5
$8.32 $8.32
-48.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$186
$12.94 $12.94
-23.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.67
$1.78 $1.78
-11.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.1
$1.59 $1.59
67.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Jackson, MS
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.37
$1.48 $1.48
-62.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$499
$42.81 $42.81
-37.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.1
$2.06 $2.06
141.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.4
$1.39 $1.39
139.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$100
$18.85 $18.85
-71.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.06
$0.98 $0.98
46.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$387.3K
$27.0K $27.0K
-23.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$439.7K
$26.3K $26.3K
-10.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Jackson, MS
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,589
$185 $185
-54.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$439
$54.9 $54.9
-57.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$537
$73.1 $73.1
-60.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Jackson, MS
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,069
$48.45 $48.45
17.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$542
$16.20 $16.20
78.46%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.3
$12.96 $12.96
-60.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Jackson, MS
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,871
$606 $606
-65.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.6K
$24.5K $24.5K
-83.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Jackson, MS
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$812
$47.61 $47.61
-8.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$777
$22.65 $22.65
82.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,390
$83.8 $83.8
-11.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,672
$114 $114
-21.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Jackson, MS
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$1,005 $1,005
-2.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,136
$875 $875
-56.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.0K
$2,049 $2,049
-16.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.1K
$1,189 $1,189
-9.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.9K
$1,373 $1,373
187.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.4K
$1,121 $1,121
449.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Jackson, MS
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$2,840 $2,840
-74.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.18
85.28%

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 Jackson, MS: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Jackson, MS
$875 130% $495
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Jackson, MS
$322 26.4% $67
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Jackson, MS
$262 29.5% $60
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Jackson, MS
$312 128% $176
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Jackson, MS
$121 8.1% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Jackson, MS
$74 10.5% $7.1
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Jackson, MS
$58 14.4% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,005 in Jackson, MS. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Jackson, MS are about 3.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $60 in Jackson, MS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $322 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇺🇸 Jackson, MS
🕒 Local time
19:54 7:54 PM
18:54 6:54 PM
1 h behind Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
153,701
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Jackson, MS 1,330 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Jackson, MS

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 Jackson, MS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Jackson, MS?
Jackson, MS costs about 68% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Jackson, MS?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,037 in Jackson, MS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen compared to Jackson, MS?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,005 in Jackson, MS. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How do childcare costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Jackson, MS?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $606 in Jackson, MS. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Jackson, MS?
Groceries cost about 26% more in Jackson, MS, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Jackson, MS?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Jackson, MS at $2,025. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Jackson, MS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Playa del Carmen or to Jackson, MS?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Jackson, MS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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