Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Los Banos, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,416 in Los Banos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Los Banos, CA
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Los Banos, CA Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Los Banos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Los Banos, 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 Los Banos, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,416 in Los Banos, CA.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Los Banos, CA $2,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,466 in Los Banos, CA.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Los Banos, CA $3,466

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,516 in Los Banos, CA.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Los Banos, CA $4,516

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 50% less than in Los Banos, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Los Banos, CA is 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$14.83 $14.83

-28.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$100 $100

-56.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$9.88 $9.88

19.33%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$5.15 $5.15

-26.41%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$2.55 $2.55

-49.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$1.95 $1.95

-57.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$7.83 $7.83

-59.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$8.20 $8.20

-39.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.02 $1.02

38.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$3.26 $3.26

-32.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$3.04 $3.04

-51.64%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$1.68 $1.68

48.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$8.29 $8.29

-12.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$7.52 $7.52

5.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$12.42 $12.42

3.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$3.40 $3.40

-14.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.35 $1.35

2.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$2.82 $2.82

-11.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$2.75 $2.75

-26.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$2.86 $2.86

-29.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$2.47 $2.47

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$2.28 $2.28

-50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$2.56 $2.56

-51.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$10.96 $10.96

-61.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$13.86 $13.86

-29.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.89 $1.89

-15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$1.36 $1.36

102.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$2.02 $2.02

-74.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$52.4 $52.4

-47.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$2.62 $2.62

81.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$1.54 $1.54

111.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$35.57 $35.57

-84.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$1.42 $1.42

7.75%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$30.7K $30.7K

-30.94%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-13.01%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$217 $217

-61.56%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$44.11 $44.11

-47.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$87.3 $87.3

-68.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$44.88 $44.88

25.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$14.84 $14.84

-66.31%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$2,511 $2,511

-91.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

-80.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$23.84 $23.84

82.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$22.35 $22.35

90.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$52.0 $52.0

39.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$61.1 $61.1

44.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$1,598 $1,598

-37.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$1,262 $1,262

-69.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$2,744 $2,744

-38.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$1,924 $1,924

-43.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$2,823 $2,823

38.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$2,367 $2,367

159.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$6,492 $6,492

-87.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.47

76.97%

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 Los Banos, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Los Banos, CA

$1.3K 52.2% 230% $880

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Los Banos, CA

$305 12.6% 18.4% $47

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Los Banos, CA

$284 11.7% 41.6% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Los Banos, CA

$349 14.4% 160% $214

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Los Banos, CA

$72 3% 35.5% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Los Banos, CA

$75 3.1% 12.2% $8.1

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Los Banos, CA

$71 2.9% 40.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,598 in Los Banos, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays about 7.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $100 in Los Banos, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $305 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Los Banos, CA

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

02:29 2:29 AM

3 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

35,972

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 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 Banos, CA 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Los Banos, 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 Los Banos, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Los Banos, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 87% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,598 in Los Banos, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,511 in Los Banos, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Los Banos, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,416 in Los Banos, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Los Banos, CA. 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 50% less than in Los Banos, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.