Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Jersey City, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $31,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Jersey City, NJ
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Jersey City, NJ Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Jersey City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Jersey City, NJ

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 Jersey City, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Jersey City, NJ $3,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,348 in Jersey City, NJ.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Jersey City, NJ $5,348

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $6,841 in Jersey City, NJ.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Jersey City, NJ $6,841

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 69% less than in Jersey City, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 10% below, Jersey City, NJ is 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$25.34 $25.34

-57.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$99.9 $99.9

-56.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$10.83 $10.83

8.86%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$5.40 $5.40

-28.33%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$2.17 $2.17

-36.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$1.58 $1.58

-46.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$8.11 $8.11

-61.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$8.18 $8.18

-38.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.29 $1.29

11.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$4.20 $4.20

-46.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$7.58 $7.58

-80.61%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$5.68 $5.68

-55.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$12.52 $12.52

-41.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$11.68 $11.68

-32.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$17.29 $17.29

-26.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$5.28 $5.28

-45.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.72 $1.72

-16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$6.44 $6.44

-60.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$6.13 $6.13

-66.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$5.66 $5.66

-64.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$3.82 $3.82

-47.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$2.89 $2.89

-58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$2.81 $2.81

-55.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$11.19 $11.19

-60.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$24.79 $24.79

-61.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.77 $1.77

-10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$5.51 $5.51

-49.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$3.07 $3.07

-81.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$106 $106

-73.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$2.94 $2.94

69.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$2.00 $2.00

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$24.20 $24.20

-77.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.12 $1.12

31.25%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$36.8K $36.8K

-42.92%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

-7.22%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$209 $209

-59.77%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$73.2 $73.2

-67.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$64.8 $64.8

-55.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$56.3 $56.3

11.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$43.47 $43.47

-32.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$14.60 $14.60

-66.16%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$2,245 $2,245

-90.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$23.6K $23.6K

-83.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$41.50 $41.50

5.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$58.2 $58.2

-25.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$74.8 $74.8

1.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$155 $155

-42.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$3,501 $3,501

-71.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$2,282 $2,282

-83.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$5,540 $5,540

-69.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$3,248 $3,248

-65.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

$7,779 $7,779

-49.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

$5,595 $5,595

10.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$6,205 $6,205

-87.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.75

69.63%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Jersey City, NJ: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Jersey City, NJ

$2.3K 59.2% 510% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Jersey City, NJ

$488 12.7% 88.9% $230

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Jersey City, NJ

$372 9.7% 83.9% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Jersey City, NJ

$347 9% 153% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Jersey City, NJ

$148 3.8% 31.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Jersey City, NJ

$85 2.2% 17.3% $13

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Jersey City, NJ

$131 3.4% 149% $78

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $3,501 in Jersey City, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jersey City, NJ pays 723% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $100 in Jersey City, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $488 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Jersey City, NJ

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

08:34 8:34 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

292,449

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Jersey City, NJ 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Jersey City, NJ

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 Jersey City, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 218% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 723% lower in Jersey City, NJ. 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: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,501 in Jersey City, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 280% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,245 in Jersey City, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,854 in Jersey City, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Jersey City, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Jersey City, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 218% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.