Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ponca City, OK

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,526 in Ponca City, OK, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Ponca City, OK
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Ponca City, OK Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Ponca City, OK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Ponca City, OK

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 Ponca City, OK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,526 in Ponca City, OK, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Ponca City, OK $2,526

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,671 in Ponca City, OK, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Ponca City, OK $3,671

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,816 in Ponca City, OK, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Ponca City, OK $4,816

Playa del Carmen is about 52% cheaper than Ponca City, OK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Ponca City, OK is 87% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$199

$16.70 $16.70

-36.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$55.9 $55.9

-21.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$9.52 $9.52

23.84%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.5

$5.72 $5.72

-33.74%

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

$1.30 MX$24.14

$2.24 $2.24

-41.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.51

$1.69 $1.69

-50.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.6

$6.09 $6.09

-48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$7.15 $7.15

-31.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$0.89 $0.89

58.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.86

$3.85 $3.85

-42.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.40

$5.79 $5.79

-74.61%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.46

$5.37 $5.37

-53.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$7.98 $7.98

-8.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$8.67 $8.67

-8.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$13.40 $13.40

-4.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$4.41 $4.41

-34.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.74

$1.53 $1.53

-9.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.35

$2.69 $2.69

-7.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.77

$4.72 $4.72

-56.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.68

$1.88 $1.88

7.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.42

$2.58 $2.58

-26.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.30

$1.51 $1.51

-24.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.05

$2.02 $2.02

-38.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.5

$9.39 $9.39

-54.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$19.31 $19.31

-49.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.51

$2.54 $2.54

-37.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$4.54 $4.54

-39.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$1.94 $1.94

-73.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$510

$62.7 $62.7

-56.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$5.08 $5.08

-6.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.5

$1.63 $1.63

99.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$34.09 $34.09

-84.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.44

$0.86 $0.86

77.91%

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

$21.2K MX$394.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

-21.43%

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

$23.3K MX$432.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

-9.86%

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

$83.5 MX$1,554

$177 $177

-52.74%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$55.2 $55.2

-57.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$60.3 $60.3

-54.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$42.95 $42.95

31.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.1

$9.82 $9.82

-49.08%

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

$207 MX$3,854

$1,372 $1,372

-84.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$10.2K $10.2K

-48.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$809

$60.8 $60.8

-28.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$792

$50.9 $50.9

-16.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,354

$114 $114

-36.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,645

$130 $130

-32.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$521 $521

90.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,116

$1,269 $1,269

-69.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.2K

$845 $845

98.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$2,129 $2,129

-49.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$2,408 $2,408

62.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.2K

$2,477 $2,477

147.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$2,418 $2,418

-65.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.6

73.48%

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 Ponca City, OK: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Ponca City, OK

$1.3K 50.3% 232% $887

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Ponca City, OK

$367 14.5% 42.4% $109

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Ponca City, OK

$291 11.5% 45.5% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Ponca City, OK

$292 11.6% 118% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Ponca City, OK

$160 6.3% 43.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Ponca City, OK

$63 2.5% 5.8% $3.8

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Ponca City, OK

$84 3.3% 66% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $521 in Ponca City, OK. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ponca City, OK are about 2.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $56 in Ponca City, OK. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $367 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Ponca City, OK

🕒 Local time

00:39 12:39 AM

23:39 11:39 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

25,387

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Playa del Carmen Ponca City, OK 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Ponca City, OK

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 Ponca City, OK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ponca City, OK is pricier by about 110%, 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 $3,789 in Ponca City, OK. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ponca City, OK, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $521 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $2,526 in Ponca City, OK. That makes Playa del Carmen about 52% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Ponca City, OK at $2,526. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ponca City, OK 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 $1,202 in Playa del Carmen to $2,526 in Ponca City, OK. 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, Ponca City, OK makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.