Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Rancho Cucamonga, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 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
164

Cost of Living Index in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
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Rancho Cucamonga, CA Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Rancho Cucamonga, CA

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 Rancho Cucamonga, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $3,385

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,782 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $4,782

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,179 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $6,179

Playa del Carmen is about 64% cheaper than Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 10% below the global median, while Rancho Cucamonga, CA is 151% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$24.89 $24.89

-56.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$80.9 $80.9

-46.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$15.87 $15.87

-25.71%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$5.64 $5.64

-31.38%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$3.15 $3.15

-56.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$2.33 $2.33

-63.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$7.54 $7.54

-58.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$9.24 $9.24

-45.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.23 $1.23

17.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$4.21 $4.21

-47.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$4.80 $4.80

-69.38%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$4.82 $4.82

-47.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$13.13 $13.13

-44.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$10.92 $10.92

-28.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$15.14 $15.14

-15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$4.87 $4.87

-40.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$2.50 $2.50

-42.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$5.43 $5.43

-53.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$5.70 $5.70

-63.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$3.74 $3.74

-46.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$3.04 $3.04

-33.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$2.16 $2.16

-44.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$2.54 $2.54

-50.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$11.78 $11.78

-62.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$14.97 $14.97

-35.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$2.48 $2.48

-35.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$4.10 $4.10

-31.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$1.97 $1.97

-71.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$59.4 $59.4

-53.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$2.50 $2.50

99.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$1.48 $1.48

-0.68%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$37.4K $37.4K

-43.94%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

-9.09%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$220 $220

-61.71%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$72.4 $72.4

-66.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$72.9 $72.9

-60.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$23.28 $23.28

170.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$9.85 $9.85

195.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$17.30 $17.30

-71.45%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$1,005 $1,005

-79.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$58.1 $58.1

-24.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$39.54 $39.54

9.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$107 $107

-29.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$145 $145

-38.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$2,467 $2,467

-59.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$1,914 $1,914

-80.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$3,828 $3,828

-55.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$2,947 $2,947

-62.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$5,140 $5,140

-85.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.31

81.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Rancho Cucamonga, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$1.9K 56.5% 412% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$429 12.7% 65.9% $170

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$393 11.6% 94.1% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$365 10.8% 166% $228

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$157 4.6% 39% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$58 1.7% 20.6% $15

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$70 * 2.1% 32.6% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,467 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 582% higher in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $81.0 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $429 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

14:25 2:25 PM

2 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

170,714

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Rancho Cucamonga, CA 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Rancho Cucamonga, CA

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 Rancho Cucamonga, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rancho Cucamonga, CA is pricier by about 180%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $5,078 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. That's a gap of about 180%.

Public transport costs about 113% 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 $1,210, than in Rancho Cucamonga, CA at $3,385. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rancho Cucamonga, CA 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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