Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Rolla, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $1,432 in Rolla, MO, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Rolla, MO, United States
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Rolla, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$1,432
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Rolla, MO

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 Rolla, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,432 in Rolla, MO, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Rolla, MO $1,432

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,186 in Rolla, MO, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Rolla, MO $2,186

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,940 in Rolla, MO, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Rolla, MO $2,940

Playa del Carmen is about 16% cheaper than Rolla, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Rolla, MO is 6% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Rolla, MO
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$199
$11.89 $11.89
-10.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$815
$34.55 $34.55
26.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$219
$9.16 $9.16
28.71%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$70.5
$3.99 $3.99
-5.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.14
$2.03 $2.03
-35.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.51
$1.24 $1.24
-33.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$58.6
$3.04 $3.04
3.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.8
$3.96 $3.96
24.49%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Rolla, MO
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$0.96 $0.96
46.87%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$40.86
$4.37 $4.37
-49.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.40
$2.19 $2.19
-32.88%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.46
$1.41 $1.41
77.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$136
$11.06 $11.06
-34.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$148
$8.73 $8.73
-8.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$239
$7.87 $7.87
63.41%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.9
$4.42 $4.42
-34.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$25.74
$1.14 $1.14
21.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.35
$3.01 $3.01
-17.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$37.77
$4.47 $4.47
-54.59%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.68
$1.63 $1.63
23.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.42
$2.34 $2.34
-18.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.30
$1.82 $1.82
-37.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.05
$2.07 $2.07
-40.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$79.5
$5.09 $5.09
-16.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$183
$5.12 $5.12
91.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.51
$1.80 $1.80
-11.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.1
$3.85 $3.85
-28.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Rolla, MO
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.58
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$510
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$88.6
$3.04 $3.04
56.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$60.5
$1.46 $1.46
122.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$100
$36.29 $36.29
-85.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.44
$0.91 $0.91
68.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$394.8K
$28.1K $28.1K
-24.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$432.9K
$26.5K $26.5K
-12.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Rolla, MO
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,554
$273 $273
-69.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$431
$59.5 $59.5
-61.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$514
$72.8 $72.8
-62.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Rolla, MO
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,050
$24.96 $24.96
126.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$525
$10.09 $10.09
179.39%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$93.1
$9.88 $9.88
-49.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Rolla, MO
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,854
$751 $751
-72.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$97.3K
$10.2K $10.2K
-48.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Rolla, MO
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$809
$26.67 $26.67
62.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$792
$36.15 $36.15
17.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,354
$79.8 $79.8
-8.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,645
$125 $125
-29.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Rolla, MO
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.5K
$527 $527
88.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,116
$345 $345
10.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.2K
$1,100 $1,100
52.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.1K
$814 $814
32.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$72.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$114.2K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Rolla, MO
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.5K
$4,423 $4,423
-81.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.36
80.03%

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 Rolla, MO: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Rolla, MO
$345 9.8% $38
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Rolla, MO
$300 16.6% $43
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Rolla, MO
$207 3.2% $6.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Rolla, MO
$405 202% $271
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Rolla, MO
$121 8.4% $9.4
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Rolla, MO
$45 32.7% $22
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Rolla, MO
$10 * 79.5% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $527 in Rolla, MO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Rolla, MO are about 5.3 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 $35 in Rolla, MO. Groceries tell a different story – $257 in Playa del Carmen vs $300 in Rolla, MO – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇺🇸 Rolla, MO
🕒 Local time
04:00 4:00 AM
03:00 3:00 AM
1 h behind Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
19,943
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Rolla, MO 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Rolla, MO

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 Rolla, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Rolla, MO?
Yes – Rolla, MO is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,149 in Rolla, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rolla, MO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $527 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Rolla, MO?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $1,432 in Rolla, MO. That makes Playa del Carmen about 16% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $751 in Rolla, MO. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Rolla, MO?
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 $1,432 in Rolla, MO. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rolla, MO makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?