Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Missoula, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,609 in Missoula, MT, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Missoula, MT
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Missoula, MT Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Missoula, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Missoula, MT

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 Missoula, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Missoula, MT $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,087 in Missoula, MT.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Missoula, MT $4,087

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,962 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,565 in Missoula, MT.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Missoula, MT $5,565

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Missoula, MT is 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$201

$16.73 $16.73

-36.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$824

$75.3 $75.3

-41.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$222

$9.27 $9.27

27.18%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$71.2

$4.37 $4.37

-13.27%

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

$1.30 MX$24.41

$3.10 $3.10

-58.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.69

$2.34 $2.34

-64.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$59.2

$5.86 $5.86

-46.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.9

$5.93 $5.93

-16.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.51

$1.12 $1.12

25.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$41.32

$3.44 $3.44

-36.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.71

$4.98 $4.98

-70.48%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.99

$4.27 $4.27

-41.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$137

$24.81 $24.81

-70.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$150

$9.67 $9.67

-17.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$242

$18.98 $18.98

-32.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$54.5

$4.81 $4.81

-39.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$26.03

$1.46 $1.46

-5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.88

$6.51 $6.51

-61.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$38.20

$3.73 $3.73

-45.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$38.11

$2.33 $2.33

-13.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.82

$2.96 $2.96

-35.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.54

$2.41 $2.41

-52.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.32

$3.90 $3.90

-68.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$80.4

$10.50 $10.50

-59.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$185

$24.82 $24.82

-60.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.85

$1.98 $1.98

-19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.7

$4.38 $4.38

-37.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$515

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$89.6

$5.13 $5.13

-7.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$61.1

$4.99 $4.99

-34.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$101

$39.29 $39.29

-86.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.76

$1.09 $1.09

40.37%

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

$21.2K MX$399.2K

$32.3K $32.3K

-34.34%

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

$23.3K MX$437.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

-5.22%

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

$83.5 MX$1,571

$139 $139

-39.86%

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

$23.19 MX$436

$52.7 $52.7

-55.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$520

$69.2 $69.2

-60.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,062

$49.22 $49.22

14.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$531

$22.25 $22.25

26.70%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$94.1

$13.75 $13.75

-63.64%

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

$207 MX$3,897

$2,009 $2,009

-89.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$98.4K

$17.7K $17.7K

-70.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$818

$66.4 $66.4

-34.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$801

$44.46 $44.46

-4.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,369

$104 $104

-30.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,663

$149 $149

-40.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.7K

$1,522 $1,522

-34.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,197

$1,324 $1,324

-71.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.5K

$2,992 $2,992

-44.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.3K

$2,649 $2,649

-59.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$73.6K

$4,211 $4,211

-7.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$115.5K

$3,475 $3,475

76.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.7K

$3,666 $3,666

-77.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.84

67.40%

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 Missoula, MT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Missoula, MT

$1.3K 50.7% 246% $941

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Missoula, MT

$477 18.3% 85.5% $220

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Missoula, MT

$277 10.6% 38.3% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Missoula, MT

$261 10% 94.1% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Missoula, MT

$164 6.3% 47.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Missoula, MT

$77 2.9% 15.5% $10

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Missoula, MT

$30 * 1.2% 40.4% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Playa del Carmen and $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Missoula, MT pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $75 in Missoula, MT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $477 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Missoula, MT

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

09:48 9:48 AM

2 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

73,489

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.31 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 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 →

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Missoula, MT 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Missoula, MT

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 Missoula, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 77% 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: $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,522 in Missoula, MT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,009 in Missoula, MT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44 versus $75 in Missoula, MT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,609 in Missoula, MT, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Missoula, MT. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Missoula, MT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Missoula, MT on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.