Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Surprise, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,244 in Surprise, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $480 less a year. The total is higher in Surprise, AZ despite lower rent and utilities.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Surprise, AZ
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Surprise, AZ Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Surprise, AZ

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 Surprise, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,244 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Surprise, AZ $1,244

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,511 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Surprise, AZ $3,511

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $5,778 in Surprise, AZ, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Surprise, AZ $5,778

Playa del Carmen is about 3% cheaper than Surprise, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Surprise, AZ are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Surprise, AZ 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$19.95 $19.95

-45.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$84.8 $84.8

-48.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$9.71 $9.71

21.32%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$5.93 $5.93

-35.75%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$3.03 $3.03

-57.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$2.70 $2.70

-71.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$6.08 $6.08

-47.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$7.82 $7.82

-36.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$0.78 $0.78

80.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$3.87 $3.87

-42.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$3.29 $3.29

-56.84%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$4.31 $4.31

-41.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$13.32 $13.32

-45.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$9.60 $9.60

-19.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$14.98 $14.98

-15.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$5.32 $5.32

-47.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.91 $1.91

-28.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$4.20 $4.20

-39.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$2.63 $2.63

-19.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$3.38 $3.38

-42.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$3.21 $3.21

-41.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$1.48 $1.48

-22.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$1.63 $1.63

-27.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$11.24 $11.24

-61.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$13.97 $13.97

-28.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.75 $1.75

-9.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$3.07 $3.07

-13.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$2.79 $2.79

78.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$1.35 $1.35

146.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$32.82 $32.82

-83.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.11 $1.11

29.73%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-41.03%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$25.2K $25.2K

-6.93%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$227 $227

-62.60%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$60.2 $60.2

-61.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$65.8 $65.8

-56.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$58.9 $58.9

-3.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$11.18 $11.18

-54.03%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$1,020 $1,020

-79.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$22.9K $22.9K

-82.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$51.8 $51.8

-16.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$45.57 $45.57

-9.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$71.6 $71.6

3.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$72.7 $72.7

22.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$2,070 $2,070

-17.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$3,015 $3,015

-64.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$1,584 $1,584

288.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$4,325 $4,325

-83.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.63

72.70%

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 Surprise, AZ: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Surprise, AZ

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Surprise, AZ

$363 29.2% 42.3% $108

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Surprise, AZ

$329 26.4% 62.5% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Surprise, AZ

$353 28.4% 158% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Surprise, AZ

$109 8.7% 2.7% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Surprise, AZ

$81 6.5% 20.7% $14

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Surprise, AZ

$9.5 * 0.8% 81.1% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Surprise, AZ are about 5.9 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 $85 in Surprise, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $363 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

21:11 9:11 PM

2 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

143,148

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Surprise, AZ 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Surprise, AZ

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 Surprise, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Surprise, AZ is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,866 in Surprise, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,244 in Surprise, AZ. That makes Playa del Carmen about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $207 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,020 in Surprise, AZ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,244 in Surprise, AZ, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,244 in Surprise, AZ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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