Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Joliet, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,650 in Joliet, IL, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Joliet, IL
Learn more

Joliet, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Joliet, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Joliet, IL

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 Joliet, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,650 in Joliet, IL.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Joliet, IL $2,650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,870 in Joliet, IL.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Joliet, IL $3,870

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,090 in Joliet, IL.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Joliet, IL $5,090

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 55% less than in Joliet, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Joliet, IL is 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$200

$19.17 $19.17

-44.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$823

$75.1 $75.1

-41.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$221

$10.78 $10.78

9.37%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.1

$5.16 $5.16

-26.55%

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

$1.30 MX$24.36

$2.61 $2.61

-50.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.65

$2.03 $2.03

-59.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.1

$6.05 $6.05

-47.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$6.81 $6.81

-27.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.46

$1.05 $1.05

34.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.23

$3.43 $3.43

-35.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.66

$4.32 $4.32

-65.97%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.89

$4.06 $4.06

-38.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$12.49 $12.49

-41.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$149

$11.63 $11.63

-31.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$15.68 $15.68

-17.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.4

$4.85 $4.85

-40.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.98

$1.56 $1.56

-11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.78

$4.35 $4.35

-42.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.12

$4.58 $4.58

-55.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.03

$2.83 $2.83

-28.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.74

$2.88 $2.88

-34.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.49

$2.01 $2.01

-43.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.27

$2.12 $2.12

-41.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.2

$9.40 $9.40

-54.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$184

$14.28 $14.28

-31.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.78

$1.86 $1.86

-14.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.6

$3.33 $3.33

-17.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.67

$1.96 $1.96

-73.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$514

$60.7 $60.7

-54.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.4

$3.59 $3.59

32.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.0

$1.65 $1.65

96.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$28.67 $28.67

-81.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.70

$0.88 $0.88

73.86%

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

$21.2K MX$398.4K

$29.2K $29.2K

-27.46%

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

$23.3K MX$436.9K

$25.5K $25.5K

-8.95%

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

$83.5 MX$1,568

$185 $185

-54.97%

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

$23.19 MX$435

$52.6 $52.6

-55.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$519

$66.4 $66.4

-58.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,060

$43.26 $43.26

30.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.9

$13.74 $13.74

-63.61%

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

$207 MX$3,889

$1,298 $1,298

-84.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.2K

$23.4K $23.4K

-77.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$816

$51.0 $51.0

-14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$799

$39.24 $39.24

8.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,367

$87.6 $87.6

-16.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,660

$112 $112

-21.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$1,573 $1,573

-36.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,181

$1,366 $1,366

-72.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.4K

$2,618 $2,618

-36.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$2,247 $2,247

-51.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.4K

$2,809 $2,809

39.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.3K

$2,462 $2,462

149.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.51

75.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Joliet, IL: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Joliet, IL

$1.4K 51.6% 257% $984

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Joliet, IL

$387 14.6% 50.4% $130

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Joliet, IL

$310 11.7% 54.8% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Joliet, IL

$304 11.5% 127% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Joliet, IL

$131 4.9% 17.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Joliet, IL

$71 2.7% 6.5% $4.3

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Joliet, IL

$80 3% 59.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,573 in Joliet, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $75 in Joliet, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $387 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Joliet, IL

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

150,362

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 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 Joliet, IL 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Joliet, IL

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 Joliet, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $2,650 in Joliet, IL, so Playa del Carmen is about 55% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,804 in Playa del Carmen and $3,974 in Joliet, IL to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,573 in Joliet, IL. 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 55% less than in Joliet, IL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,298 in Joliet, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,650 in Joliet, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Joliet, IL. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Joliet, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.