Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Midland, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,065 in Midland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Midland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,065

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Midland, TX

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 Midland, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,065 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Midland, TX $2,065

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,941 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Midland, TX $2,941

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,818 in Midland, TX, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Midland, TX $3,818

Playa del Carmen is about 42% cheaper than Midland, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Midland, TX is 52% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$16.09 $16.09

-32.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$54.6 $54.6

-20.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$10.03 $10.03

17.45%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$5.16 $5.16

-26.16%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$4.65 $4.65

-72.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$4.19 $4.19

-81.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$9.89 $9.89

-67.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$12.14 $12.14

-59.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$0.77 $0.77

83.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$3.39 $3.39

-34.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$4.49 $4.49

-68.37%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$2.98 $2.98

-15.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$10.84 $10.84

-33.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.12 $1.12

22.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$1.72 $1.72

-33.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$2.04 $2.04

-42.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$11.17 $11.17

-61.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$14.77 $14.77

-32.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.78 $1.78

-11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$1.26 $1.26

-56.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$37.28 $37.28

-28.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$0.86 $0.86

67.44%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$26.9K $26.9K

-23.19%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$26.2K $26.2K

-10.53%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

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

$23.41 MX$439

$53.9 $53.9

-56.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$71.2 $71.2

-59.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$13.36 $13.36

327.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$12.37 $12.37

-58.45%

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

$207 MX$3,878

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$79.1 $79.1

-45.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$30.36 $30.36

36.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$148 $148

-49.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$149 $149

-40.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$1,713 $1,713

-42.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$1,166 $1,166

-67.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$2,593 $2,593

-34.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$1,784 $1,784

-39.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$2,337 $2,337

68.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$1,863 $1,863

230.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$5,445 $5,445

-86.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.92

65.46%

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 Midland, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Midland, TX

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Midland, TX

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Midland, TX

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Midland, TX

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Midland, TX

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Midland, TX

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Midland, TX

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,713 in Midland, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Midland, TX are about 7.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $55 in Midland, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $181 in Midland, TX – so Midland, TX wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Midland, TX

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

08:24 8:24 AM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

132,524

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Midland, TX 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Midland, TX

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 Midland, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Midland, TX costs about 71% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,098 in Midland, TX. 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 $980 there versus $1,713 in Midland, TX.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 29% cheaper in Midland, TX – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Midland, TX at $2,065. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Midland, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $2,065 in Midland, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Midland, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.