Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Martha's Vineyard, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,503 in Martha’s Vineyard, MA, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Martha's Vineyard, MA, United States
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Martha's Vineyard, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,503
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Martha's Vineyard, MA

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 Martha's Vineyard, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,503 in Martha’s Vineyard, MA.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Martha's Vineyard, MA $2,503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,756 in Martha’s Vineyard, MA.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Martha's Vineyard, MA $3,756

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,009 in Martha’s Vineyard, MA.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Martha's Vineyard, MA $5,009

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 52% less than in Martha’s Vineyard, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Martha’s Vineyard, MA is 85% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Martha's Vineyard, MA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$20.13 $20.13
-46.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$74.6 $74.6
-41.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$12.95 $12.95
-8.96%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$5.25 $5.25
-27.81%
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
$1.96 $1.96
-57.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
$6.18 $6.18
-49.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$8.60 $8.60
-42.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Martha's Vineyard, MA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.01 $1.01
39.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$4.51 $4.51
-51.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$4.31 $4.31
-65.89%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.46
$6.22 $6.22
-59.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$10.72 $10.72
-32.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$10.53 $10.53
-24.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$19.18 $19.18
-32.95%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$5.46 $5.46
-46.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$1.60 $1.60
-13.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.35
$3.35 $3.35
-25.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.77
$3.06 $3.06
-33.66%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.68
$2.22 $2.22
-9.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$2.50 $2.50
-24.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$2.62 $2.62
-56.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.05
$2.87 $2.87
-56.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$11.89 $11.89
-64.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
$16.73 $16.73
-41.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$1.82 $1.82
-12.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
$2.86 $2.86
-3.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Martha's Vineyard, MA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
$2.30 $2.30
-77.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
$64.9 $64.9
-57.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$3.80 $3.80
25.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$2.19 $2.19
48.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$48.16 $48.16
-88.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$1.03 $1.03
48.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$27.7K $27.7K
-23.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$26.1K $26.1K
-10.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Martha's Vineyard, MA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$200 $200
-58.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$36.74 $36.74
-36.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$60.7 $60.7
-54.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Martha's Vineyard, MA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$36.04 $36.04
56.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$12.59 $12.59
-60.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Martha's Vineyard, MA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$2,161 $2,161
-90.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.3K
$35.0K $35.0K
-85.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Martha's Vineyard, MA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$39.15 $39.15
10.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$16.10 $16.10
164.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
$102 $102
-28.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$105 $105
-15.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Martha's Vineyard, MA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$1,569 $1,569
-36.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$1,199 $1,199
-68.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$2,570 $2,570
-34.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$2,134 $2,134
-49.36%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
$2,662 $2,662
46.81%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
$2,282 $2,282
168.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Martha's Vineyard, MA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
-
-
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 Martha's Vineyard, MA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Martha's Vineyard, MA
$1.2K 213% $816
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Martha's Vineyard, MA
$410 59.3% $153
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Martha's Vineyard, MA
$329 64.3% $129
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Martha's Vineyard, MA
$298 122% $163
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Martha's Vineyard, MA
$118 5.8% $6.5
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Martha's Vineyard, MA
$61 7.9% $5.2
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Martha's Vineyard, MA
$89 76.1% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,569 in Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $75 in Martha’s Vineyard, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $410 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇺🇸 Martha's Vineyard, MA
🕒 Local time
05:29 5:29 AM
05:29 5:29 AM
Same time as Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
2,510
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Martha's Vineyard, MA 2,780 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Martha's Vineyard, MA

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 Martha's Vineyard, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Martha’s Vineyard, MA?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Martha’s Vineyard, MA?
You’d need roughly $1,804 in Playa del Carmen and $3,754 in Martha’s Vineyard, MA 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen compared to Martha’s Vineyard, MA?
Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,569 in Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Martha’s Vineyard, MA?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44 versus $75 in Martha’s Vineyard, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Playa del Carmen compared to Martha’s Vineyard, MA?
All in, you’ll spend $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,503 in Martha’s Vineyard, MA – Playa del Carmen is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Martha’s Vineyard, MA?
At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,503 in Martha’s Vineyard, MA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Martha’s Vineyard, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Playa del Carmen or Martha’s Vineyard, MA?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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