Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Salt Lake City, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,673 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Salt Lake City, UT

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 Salt Lake City, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,673 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,202
Salt Lake City, UT $2,673

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,881 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Salt Lake City, UT $3,881

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,090 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,962
Salt Lake City, UT $5,090

Playa del Carmen is about 55% cheaper than Salt Lake City, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Salt Lake City, UT is 98% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.67 MX$198

$17.80 $17.80

-40.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.80 MX$815

$73.6 $73.6

-40.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$219

$9.93 $9.93

18.73%

Cappuccino

$3.79 MX$70.4

$5.02 $5.02

-24.50%

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

$1.30 MX$24.12

$2.22 $2.22

-41.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$15.50

$1.65 $1.65

-49.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$58.5

$6.04 $6.04

-47.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.8

$8.15 $8.15

-39.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

$0.93 $0.93

51.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$40.83

$3.86 $3.86

-43.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.39

$4.00 $4.00

-63.25%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$46.43

$4.14 $4.14

-39.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 MX$136

$11.72 $11.72

-37.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$148

$12.16 $12.16

-34.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$239

$17.60 $17.60

-26.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.9

$4.03 $4.03

-28.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.73

$1.38 $1.38

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 MX$46.32

$3.58 $3.58

-30.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

$4.02 $4.02

-49.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.66

$2.31 $2.31

-12.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$35.40

$2.49 $2.49

-23.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.28

$1.86 $1.86

-38.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 MX$23.04

$1.88 $1.88

-34.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.4

$10.31 $10.31

-58.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 MX$183

$14.71 $14.71

-33.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.49

$2.77 $2.77

-42.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$51.1

$3.27 $3.27

-15.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$9.58

$2.56 $2.56

-80.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.39 MX$509

$85.3 $85.3

-67.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 MX$88.6

$2.48 $2.48

91.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.25 MX$60.4

$2.33 $2.33

39.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$100

$24.70 $24.70

-78.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.42

$1.14 $1.14

34.21%

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

$21.2K MX$394.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-39.48%

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

$23.3K MX$432.6K

$26.5K $26.5K

-12.29%

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

$83.5 MX$1,553

$200 $200

-58.35%

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

$23.19 MX$431

$51.8 $51.8

-55.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 MX$514

$83.8 $83.8

-67.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 MX$1,050

$34.23 $34.23

64.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$524

$27.29 $27.29

3.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.00 MX$93.0

$14.87 $14.87

-66.38%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$1,338 $1,338

-84.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,231 MX$97.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

-80.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.45 MX$808

$70.7 $70.7

-38.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 MX$791

$45.73 $45.73

-6.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 MX$1,353

$112 $112

-34.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,644

$109 $109

-18.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$18.5K

$1,556 $1,556

-36.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,112

$1,334 $1,334

-71.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 MX$31.1K

$2,741 $2,741

-38.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 MX$20.1K

$2,149 $2,149

-49.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,909 MX$72.7K

$4,582 $4,582

-14.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,138 MX$114.1K

$3,015 $3,015

103.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

$4,387 $4,387

-81.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.46

77.24%

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 Salt Lake City, UT: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.3K 49.9% 249% $951

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4%

Salt Lake City, UT

$384 14.4% 49.1% $126

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7%

Salt Lake City, UT

$294 11% 47% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2%

Salt Lake City, UT

$336 12.6% 150% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3%

Salt Lake City, UT

$151 5.7% 36.1% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5%

Salt Lake City, UT

$64 2.4% 3.7% $2.5

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Salt Lake City, UT

$110 4.1% 117% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,556 in Salt Lake City, UT. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Salt Lake City, UT 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 $74 in Salt Lake City, UT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $384 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

19:24 7:24 PM

2 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

200,133

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18.6 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Salt Lake City, UT 3,240 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Salt Lake City, UT

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 Salt Lake City, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Salt Lake City, UT is pricier by about 122%, 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 $4,009 in Salt Lake City, UT. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,556 in Salt Lake City, UT.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $2,673 in Salt Lake City, UT. That makes Playa del Carmen about 55% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 68% 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 Salt Lake City, UT at $2,673. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salt Lake City, UT 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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Salt Lake City, UT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.