Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Mountain Home, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,430 in Mountain Home, ID, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

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

Cost of Living Index in Mountain Home, ID
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Mountain Home, ID Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,430 in Mountain Home, ID.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Mountain Home, ID $2,430

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,678 in Mountain Home, ID.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Mountain Home, ID $3,678

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,927 in Mountain Home, ID.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Mountain Home, ID $4,927

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 50% less than in Mountain Home, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Mountain Home, ID is 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$203

$18.76 $18.76

-42.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$824

$71.5 $71.5

-38.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$219

$12.64 $12.64

-6.96%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.6

$5.55 $5.55

-33.69%

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

$1.34 MX$25.01

$2.82 $2.82

-52.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.38

$2.19 $2.19

-62.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$57.1

$5.97 $5.97

-48.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$92.1

$6.48 $6.48

-23.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.41

$1.08 $1.08

36.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.32

$3.62 $3.62

-38.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.57

$4.26 $4.26

-65.26%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$46.41

$4.22 $4.22

-41.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$140

$12.80 $12.80

-41.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$148

$11.72 $11.72

-32.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$234

$16.77 $16.77

-25.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.8

$4.89 $4.89

-43.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.61

$1.65 $1.65

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.81

$4.18 $4.18

-37.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.85

$4.65 $4.65

-53.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.72

$2.86 $2.86

-29.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$37.08

$3.00 $3.00

-33.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.20

$2.19 $2.19

-47.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.38

$2.56 $2.56

-53.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$79.4

$10.22 $10.22

-58.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$187

$14.94 $14.94

-32.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.67

$1.99 $1.99

-22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.62

$3.46 $3.46

-23.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.82

$2.26 $2.26

-76.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$513

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$91.4

$2.67 $2.67

83.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$64.1

$1.73 $1.73

98.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$100

$26.44 $26.44

-79.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$27.00

$1.19 $1.19

21.85%

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

$21.2K MX$394.5K

$27.0K $27.0K

-21.75%

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

$23.0K MX$429.2K

$25.7K $25.7K

-10.26%

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

$85.4 MX$1,592

$196 $196

-56.36%

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

$23.46 MX$438

$58.9 $58.9

-60.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$530

$70.1 $70.1

-59.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,160

$46.47 $46.47

33.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$535

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$95.2

$13.81 $13.81

-63.07%

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

$201 MX$3,749

$1,333 $1,333

-84.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$73.6K

$20.0K $20.0K

-80.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$828

$53.5 $53.5

-17.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$771

$45.22 $45.22

-8.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,356

$80.2 $80.2

-9.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,671

$120 $120

-25.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.3K

$1,607 $1,607

-39.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,950

$1,155 $1,155

-67.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.3K

$2,354 $2,354

-28.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.4K

$2,133 $2,133

-48.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.6K

$2,447 $2,447

61.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$114.4K

$2,373 $2,373

158.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.57

74.28%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Mountain Home, ID

$1.2K 47.5% 210% $782

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Mountain Home, ID

$403 16.6% 56.1% $145

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Mountain Home, ID

$317 13.1% 58.6% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Mountain Home, ID

$325 13.4% 137% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Mountain Home, ID

$135 5.5% 20.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Mountain Home, ID

$74 3.1% 2.3% $1.7

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Mountain Home, ID

$20 * 0.8% 60.6% $31

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 $979 in Playa del Carmen and $1,607 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44 in Playa del Carmen vs $72 in Mountain Home, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $403 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

20:40 8:40 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

11,656

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.65 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.89 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Mountain Home, ID 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $3,645 in Mountain Home, ID 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,607 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Mountain Home, ID. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,430 in Mountain Home, ID – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,430 in Mountain Home, ID, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mountain Home, ID. 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.