Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Medford, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,476 in Medford, OR, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Medford, OR
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Medford, OR Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Medford, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Medford, OR

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 Medford, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,476 in Medford, OR.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Medford, OR $2,476

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,565 in Medford, OR.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Medford, OR $3,565

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,653 in Medford, OR.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Medford, OR $4,653

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 51% less than in Medford, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 12% below, Medford, OR is 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$19.96 $19.96

-45.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$62.8 $62.8

-30.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

$10.41 $10.41

13.16%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$4.73 $4.73

-19.45%

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

$2.44 $2.44

-47.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$1.50 $1.50

-48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$5.92 $5.92

-46.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$6.29 $6.29

-21.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$1.17 $1.17

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$3.18 $3.18

-30.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

$8.27 $8.27

-82.83%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

$4.19 $4.19

-39.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$21.31 $21.31

-65.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$10.17 $10.17

-24.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

$15.30 $15.30

-17.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$4.13 $4.13

-32.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

$1.58 $1.58

-13.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

$5.30 $5.30

-51.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$5.11 $5.11

-58.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

$2.85 $2.85

-31.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

$2.90 $2.90

-34.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

$2.65 $2.65

-56.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

$3.18 $3.18

-62.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

$11.08 $11.08

-61.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$13.38 $13.38

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

$1.75 $1.75

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

$3.40 $3.40

-21.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$1.98 $1.98

-72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$47.17 $47.17

-43.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

$2.86 $2.86

73.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$2.43 $2.43

37.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$44.52 $44.52

-87.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$1.22 $1.22

18.03%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

$28.4K $28.4K

-27.18%

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

$23.8K $23.8K

-1.23%

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

$203 $203

-58.13%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$70.2 $70.2

-66.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$77.6 $77.6

-63.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$17.33 $17.33

229.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

$11.60 $11.60

-55.69%

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

$207 MX$3,848

$1,022 $1,022

-79.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$8,159 $8,159

-51.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$57.9 $57.9

-25.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$38.84 $38.84

6.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

$107 $107

-30.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

$113 $113

-20.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$1,258 $1,258

-22.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

$1,131 $1,131

-66.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$1,944 $1,944

-12.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$1,768 $1,768

-39.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$3,305 $3,305

19.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

$2,784 $2,784

121.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$3,592 $3,592

-79.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.54

75.08%

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 Medford, OR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Medford, OR

$1.1K 45.7% 197% $750

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Medford, OR

$436 17.6% 71.3% $182

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Medford, OR

$306 12.3% 51% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Medford, OR

$350 14.2% 156% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Medford, OR

$143 5.8% 27.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Medford, OR

$41 1.6% 39.8% $27

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Medford, OR

$70 2.8% 38.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $980 in Playa del Carmen and $1,258 in Medford, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medford, OR pays about 4.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $63 in Medford, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $255 vs $436 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Medford, OR

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

17:16 5:16 PM

2 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

56,173

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 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 = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 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 →

On the map

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Playa del Carmen Medford, OR 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Medford, OR

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 Medford, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Medford, OR. 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 80% 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: $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,258 in Medford, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Medford, OR. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $63 in Medford, OR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,476 in Medford, OR, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Medford, OR. 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 51% less than in Medford, OR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.