Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Sparks, NV, United States

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,203 a month against $2,504 in Sparks, NV, United States, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 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 Sparks, NV, United States
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Sparks, NV, United States Living Index

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Sparks, NV, United States, United States

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,203

/mo nomad

Sparks, NV, United States

🇺🇸 United States

$2,504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Sparks, NV, United States

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 Sparks, NV, United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,203 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,504 in Sparks, NV, United States, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,203
Sparks, NV, United States $2,504

A couple spends around $2,084 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,793 in Sparks, NV, United States, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,084
Sparks, NV, United States $3,793

A family of three spends $2,965 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,082 in Sparks, NV, United States, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,965
Sparks, NV, United States $5,082

Playa del Carmen is about 52% cheaper than Sparks, NV, United States, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 10% below the global median, while Sparks, NV, United States is 87% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 MX$199

$23.56 $23.56

-54.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.71 MX$792

$65.9 $65.9

-35.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 MX$220

$11.57 $11.57

2.51%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$70.4

$5.43 $5.43

-30.02%

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

$1.29 MX$23.85

$2.63 $2.63

-50.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.25

$2.05 $2.05

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 MX$56.9

$5.69 $5.69

-46.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 MX$92.4

$6.85 $6.85

-27.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$27.58

$1.04 $1.04

43.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$41.93

$3.55 $3.55

-36.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 MX$25.88

$4.44 $4.44

-68.47%

Eggs

$2.47 MX$45.81

$4.11 $4.11

-39.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.25 MX$134

$12.46 $12.46

-41.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$150

$11.57 $11.57

-30.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.87 MX$239

$17.11 $17.11

-24.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$53.6

$5.09 $5.09

-43.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.67

$1.64 $1.64

-12.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 MX$48.36

$4.24 $4.24

-38.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$39.48

$4.54 $4.54

-53.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.87

$2.91 $2.91

-31.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.10

$2.98 $2.98

-36.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.39

$2.18 $2.18

-47.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 MX$22.88

$2.28 $2.28

-46.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.45 MX$82.5

$10.01 $10.01

-55.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.61 MX$178

$14.82 $14.82

-35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$29.66

$2.00 $2.00

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 MX$49.72

$3.53 $3.53

-24.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.48

$2.04 $2.04

-72.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.54 MX$492

$59.8 $59.8

-55.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.79 MX$88.8

$3.47 $3.47

38.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.29 MX$61.0

$1.79 $1.79

83.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$99.9

$30.26 $30.26

-82.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$27.13

$1.02 $1.02

43.14%

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

$21.1K MX$390.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

-24.23%

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

$23.4K MX$434.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

-12.03%

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

$83.9 MX$1,555

$201 $201

-58.30%

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

$23.11 MX$428

$74.3 $74.3

-68.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 MX$525

$53.3 $53.3

-46.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MX$977

$39.78 $39.78

32.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.94 MX$574

$22.39 $22.39

38.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 MX$91.9

$13.66 $13.66

-63.69%

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

$203 MX$3,769

$1,317 $1,317

-84.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,245 MX$97.2K

$20.4K $20.4K

-74.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.12 MX$818

$54.0 $54.0

-18.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.37 MX$767

$41.47 $41.47

-0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 MX$1,368

$87.9 $87.9

-16.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 MX$1,668

$113 $113

-20.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$988 MX$18.3K

$1,388 $1,388

-28.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 MX$7,088

$1,146 $1,146

-66.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 MX$30.9K

$2,577 $2,577

-35.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 MX$20.1K

$2,105 $2,105

-48.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$73.1K

$2,875 $2,875

37.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,102 MX$113.1K

$2,342 $2,342

160.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$907 MX$16.8K

$4,161 $4,161

-78.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.59

73.75%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 8, 2026

Last update for Sparks, NV, United States: November 8, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8%

Sparks, NV, United States

$1.1K 45.8% 200% $764

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.6%

Sparks, NV, United States

$399 15.9% 53.7% $139

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$201 16.7%

Sparks, NV, United States

$349 13.9% 73.9% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$135 11.3%

Sparks, NV, United States

$329 13.1% 143% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sparks, NV, United States

$133 5.3% 18.8% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$63 5.2%

Sparks, NV, United States

$67 2.7% 7.2% $4.5

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Sparks, NV, United States

$80 3.2% 60.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $988 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,388 in Sparks, NV, United States. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sparks, NV, United States are about 4.6 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 $66 in Sparks, NV, United States. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $399 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Sparks, NV, United States

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

12:32 12:32 PM

3 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

104,246

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.4 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.891 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.53 MXN (100 MXN = 5.4 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Sparks, NV, United States 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Sparks, NV, United States

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 Sparks, NV, United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sparks, NV, United States is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,805 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,756 in Sparks, NV, United States. 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 $988 there versus $1,388 in Sparks, NV, United States.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,203 in Playa del Carmen and $2,504 in Sparks, NV, United States. 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 $1,203, than in Sparks, NV, United States at $2,504. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sparks, NV, United States 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, Sparks, NV, United States makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.