Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Middlesex, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,599 in Middlesex, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Middlesex, NJ
Learn more

Middlesex, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Middlesex, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Middlesex, NJ

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 Middlesex, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,599 in Middlesex, NJ, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Middlesex, NJ $2,599

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,818 in Middlesex, NJ, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Middlesex, NJ $3,818

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,036 in Middlesex, NJ, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Middlesex, NJ $5,036

Playa del Carmen is about 54% cheaper than Middlesex, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Middlesex, NJ is 92% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$20.26 $20.26

-47.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$75.5 $75.5

-41.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$13.20 $13.20

-10.68%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$5.26 $5.26

-27.95%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$2.79 $2.79

-53.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$2.52 $2.52

-67.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$5.93 $5.93

-46.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$8.25 $8.25

-40.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.00 $1.00

41.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$4.57 $4.57

-51.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$4.44 $4.44

-66.89%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.47

$6.43 $6.43

-61.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$10.38 $10.38

-29.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$10.83 $10.83

-26.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$19.37 $19.37

-33.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$5.59 $5.59

-48.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.64 $1.64

-15.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.36

$3.37 $3.37

-26.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.78

$3.03 $3.03

-33.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.69

$2.21 $2.21

-8.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$2.48 $2.48

-23.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$2.64 $2.64

-56.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.06

$2.94 $2.94

-57.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$13.89 $13.89

-69.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$17.05 $17.05

-42.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$1.88 $1.88

-15.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$2.85 $2.85

-3.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$2.22 $2.22

-77.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$62.7 $62.7

-56.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$3.83 $3.83

24.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$2.21 $2.21

47.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$48.86 $48.86

-88.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.96 $0.96

59.38%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

-23.83%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$26.7K $26.7K

-12.99%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$202 $202

-58.68%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$36.43 $36.43

-36.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$60.6 $60.6

-54.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$37.71 $37.71

49.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$12.52 $12.52

-60.06%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$2,096 $2,096

-90.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.4K

$34.8K $34.8K

-84.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$38.26 $38.26

13.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$16.02 $16.02

165.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$99.6 $99.6

-26.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$117 $117

-24.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$2,671 $2,671

-62.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$1,281 $1,281

-70.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$2,538 $2,538

-34.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$2,130 $2,130

-49.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$3,053 $3,053

28.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$2,456 $2,456

149.91%

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 Middlesex, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Middlesex, NJ

$1.3K 49.3% 235% $899

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Middlesex, NJ

$416 16% 61.5% $158

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Middlesex, NJ

$332 12.8% 65.9% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Middlesex, NJ

$299 11.5% 123% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Middlesex, NJ

$122 4.7% 9.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Middlesex, NJ

$63 2.4% 5.5% $3.7

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Middlesex, NJ

$86 3.3% 71.3% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,671 in Middlesex, NJ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $75 in Middlesex, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $416 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Middlesex, NJ

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

13,746

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Middlesex, NJ 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Middlesex, NJ

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 Middlesex, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Middlesex, NJ is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,899 in Middlesex, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $2,671 in Middlesex, NJ.

Groceries cost about 61% more in Middlesex, NJ, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen and $75 in Middlesex, NJ. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Middlesex, NJ at $2,599. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Middlesex, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 54% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.