Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Madison Heights, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,628 in Madison Heights, MI, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Madison Heights, MI
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Madison Heights, MI Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Madison Heights, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Madison Heights, MI

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 Madison Heights, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,628 in Madison Heights, MI.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Madison Heights, MI $2,628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,805 in Madison Heights, MI.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Madison Heights, MI $3,805

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,982 in Madison Heights, MI.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Madison Heights, MI $4,982

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 54% less than in Madison Heights, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Madison Heights, MI is 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$17.73 $17.73

-38.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$62.3 $62.3

-30.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$11.01 $11.01

6.99%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$5.48 $5.48

-30.47%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.58 $2.58

-50.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$1.99 $1.99

-60.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$6.12 $6.12

-48.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$7.83 $7.83

-37.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.81 $0.81

74.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$3.24 $3.24

-31.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$4.45 $4.45

-68.09%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$3.79 $3.79

-33.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$13.11 $13.11

-44.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$11.27 $11.27

-31.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$16.56 $16.56

-23.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$4.98 $4.98

-44.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.56 $1.56

-12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$4.16 $4.16

-38.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$3.97 $3.97

-46.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$2.57 $2.57

-24.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$3.01 $3.01

-37.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$2.17 $2.17

-47.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$2.09 $2.09

-43.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$10.05 $10.05

-57.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$15.20 $15.20

-34.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$2.55 $2.55

-38.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$3.49 $3.49

-23.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.97 $1.97

-72.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$64.9 $64.9

-58.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$2.72 $2.72

82.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$1.51 $1.51

120.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$23.70 $23.70

-77.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.03 $1.03

39.81%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$34.0K $34.0K

-39.30%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$26.4K $26.4K

-11.09%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$218 $218

-61.07%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$59.4 $59.4

-60.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$67.9 $67.9

-57.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$42.05 $42.05

35.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$11.78 $11.78

-56.37%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$1,096 $1,096

-81.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$18.8K $18.8K

-79.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$58.1 $58.1

-25.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$40.03 $40.03

3.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$95.5 $95.5

-22.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$118 $118

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$1,575 $1,575

-37.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$1,302 $1,302

-70.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$2,534 $2,534

-32.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$2,159 $2,159

-50.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$2,685 $2,685

46.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$2,422 $2,422

154.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.49

76.43%

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 Madison Heights, MI: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Madison Heights, MI

$1.3K 49.5% 242% $921

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Madison Heights, MI

$387 14.7% 51.9% $132

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Madison Heights, MI

$305 11.6% 50.8% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Madison Heights, MI

$345 13.1% 152% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Madison Heights, MI

$140 5.3% 25.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Madison Heights, MI

$66 2.5% 2.5% $1.7

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Madison Heights, MI

$83 3.2% 64.6% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,575 in Madison Heights, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $62 in Madison Heights, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $387 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Madison Heights, MI

🕒 Local time

20:24 8:24 PM

21:24 9:24 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

30,042

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Madison Heights, MI 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Madison Heights, MI

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 Madison Heights, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Madison Heights, MI. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $3,942 in Madison Heights, MI 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,575 in Madison Heights, MI. 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 59% less than in Madison Heights, MI. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,096 in Madison Heights, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,628 in Madison Heights, MI, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Madison Heights, MI. 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 54% less than in Madison Heights, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.