Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Los Alamos, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,060 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Playa del Carmen outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Los Alamos, NM $1,060

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,643 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Los Alamos, NM $1,643

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,227 in Los Alamos, NM, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Los Alamos, NM $2,227

Playa del Carmen costs about 14% more than Los Alamos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Los Alamos, NM are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Los Alamos, NM 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$16.75 $16.75

-35.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$39.58 $39.58

11.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$9.82 $9.82

19.76%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$4.95 $4.95

-25.66%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$2.52 $2.52

-46.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$1.53 $1.53

-46.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$5.91 $5.91

-48.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$6.89 $6.89

-28.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$0.95 $0.95

54.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$2.16 $2.16

2.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$4.62 $4.62

-67.97%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$4.01 $4.01

-37.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$11.89 $11.89

-36.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$9.74 $9.74

-18.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$17.91 $17.91

-29.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$4.87 $4.87

-42.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.43 $1.43

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$2.85 $2.85

-8.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$4.36 $4.36

-50.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$1.11 $1.11

81.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$3.34 $3.34

-40.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.05 $2.05

-44.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$0.52 $0.52

130.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$11.00 $11.00

-61.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$13.84 $13.84

-27.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$2.46 $2.46

-37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$3.65 $3.65

-27.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$3.61 $3.61

35.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.94 $1.94

76.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$32.32 $32.32

-83.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.94 $0.94

54.26%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$30.0K $30.0K

-29.54%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

-9.07%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$156 $156

-45.40%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$40.31 $40.31

-41.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$72.5 $72.5

-60.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$12.88 $12.88

-60.40%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$1,480 $1,480

-86.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$25.0K $25.0K

-84.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$20.09 $20.09

120.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$43.66 $43.66

-5.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$102 $102

-28.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$117 $117

-23.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$1,101 $1,101

-11.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,926 $1,926

-12.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$3,369 $3,369

17.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$3,369 $3,369

82.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$8,167 $8,167

-90.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.57

74.28%

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 Los Alamos, NM: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Los Alamos, NM

$342 32.3% 32.2% $83

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Los Alamos, NM

$282 26.7% 41.1% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.4% 96.1% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Los Alamos, NM

$127 12% 14% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.4% 64.4% $47

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Los Alamos, NM

$13 * 1.3% 74.2% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,101 in Los Alamos, NM. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1007% higher in Los Alamos, NM, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $342 in Los Alamos, NM – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

12:36 12:36 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

13,179

💱 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Los Alamos, NM 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Los Alamos, NM

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 Los Alamos, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,589 in Los Alamos, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM. That's a gap of about 14%.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,480 in Los Alamos, NM. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Los Alamos, NM, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Los Alamos, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Los Alamos, NM – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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