Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Shreveport, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,186 in Shreveport, LA, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Shreveport, LA, United States
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Shreveport, LA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,186
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Shreveport, LA

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 Shreveport, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,186 in Shreveport, LA, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Shreveport, LA $2,186

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,970 in Shreveport, LA, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Shreveport, LA $2,970

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,755 in Shreveport, LA, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Shreveport, LA $3,755

Playa del Carmen is about 45% cheaper than Shreveport, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Shreveport, LA is 61% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Shreveport, LA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$204
$15.98 $15.98
-31.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$49.38 $49.38
-12.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$220
$10.88 $10.88
8.27%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$5.14 $5.14
-25.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.90
$2.49 $2.49
-48.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.59
$2.32 $2.32
-66.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$5.47 $5.47
-42.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.0
$5.86 $5.86
-15.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Shreveport, LA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.22
$1.11 $1.11
27.03%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.33
$2.69 $2.69
-17.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.42
$2.68 $2.68
-47.01%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.03
$3.41 $3.41
-26.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$9.66 $9.66
-24.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$11.79 $11.79
-34.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$237
$22.18 $22.18
-42.79%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$4.23 $4.23
-34.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.50
$1.32 $1.32
3.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.55
$2.98 $2.98
-14.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.58
$3.22 $3.22
-34.16%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.13
$2.21 $2.21
-12.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.16
$2.38 $2.38
-20.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.37
$1.95 $1.95
-41.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.98
$1.37 $1.37
-13.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.1
$9.06 $9.06
-52.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$12.04 $12.04
-17.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.52
$1.81 $1.81
-12.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.79
$1.66 $1.66
60.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Shreveport, LA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$2.47 $2.47
101.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$1.52 $1.52
119.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$23.63 $23.63
-77.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.92
$0.89 $0.89
61.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.2K
$27.3K $27.3K
-24.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.4K
$26.7K $26.7K
-12.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Shreveport, LA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,581
$216 $216
-60.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$59.2 $59.2
-60.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$68.2 $68.2
-57.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Shreveport, LA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$26.44 $26.44
115.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.8
$13.02 $13.02
-60.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Shreveport, LA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,851
$1,019 $1,019
-79.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$19.2K $19.2K
-79.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Shreveport, LA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$52.0 $52.0
-16.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$38.93 $38.93
6.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,383
$83.5 $83.5
-11.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,664
$153 $153
-41.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Shreveport, LA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.3K
$1,083 $1,083
-9.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,099
$1,006 $1,006
-62.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$1,632 $1,632
4.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$1,285 $1,285
-16.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$1,468 $1,468
168.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.8K
$1,213 $1,213
407.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Shreveport, LA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$3,520 $3,520
-79.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.13
86.79%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shreveport, LA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Shreveport, LA
$1K 164% $626
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Shreveport, LA
$346 35.8% $91
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Shreveport, LA
$280 38.6% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Shreveport, LA
$343 151% $206
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Shreveport, LA
$147 31.8% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Shreveport, LA
$52 22% $15
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Shreveport, LA
$10 * 80.1% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,083 in Shreveport, LA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Shreveport, LA are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $49 in Shreveport, LA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $346 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇺🇸 Shreveport, LA
🕒 Local time
18:09 6:09 PM
18:09 6:09 PM
Same time as Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
187,593
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Shreveport, LA 1,480 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Shreveport, LA

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 Shreveport, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Shreveport, LA?
Yes – Shreveport, LA is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,279 in Shreveport, LA. 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,083 in Shreveport, LA.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Shreveport, LA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,186 in Shreveport, LA. That makes Playa del Carmen about 45% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,019 in Shreveport, LA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Shreveport, LA?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Shreveport, LA at $2,186. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Shreveport, LA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Shreveport, LA more family-friendly?
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.
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, Shreveport, LA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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