Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Urbandale, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Urbandale, IA
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Urbandale, IA Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Urbandale, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,310 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Urbandale, IA $2,310

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,374 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,102
Urbandale, IA $3,374

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,437 in Urbandale, IA, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,000
Urbandale, IA $4,437

Playa del Carmen is about 48% cheaper than Urbandale, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Urbandale, IA is 70% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.86 MX$201

$14.86 $14.86

-26.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.21 MX$817

$50.9 $50.9

-13.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 MX$217

$9.96 $9.96

18.07%

Cappuccino

$3.68 MX$68.0

$4.97 $4.97

-25.96%

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

$1.34 MX$24.79

$1.21 $1.21

10.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.24

$0.99 $0.99

-17.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$5.15 $5.15

-40.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 MX$91.2

$7.58 $7.58

-34.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.01 $1.01

45.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$40.95

$3.25 $3.25

-31.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$27.32

$3.84 $3.84

-61.46%

Eggs

$2.49 MX$45.99

$2.05 $2.05

21.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 MX$139

$14.07 $14.07

-46.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 MX$147

$9.88 $9.88

-19.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.57 MX$232

$13.88 $13.88

-9.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.3

$3.21 $3.21

-13.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.37

$1.61 $1.61

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 MX$48.37

$3.47 $3.47

-24.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 MX$39.49

$3.29 $3.29

-34.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.38

$3.09 $3.09

-34.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$36.74

$3.37 $3.37

-40.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MX$21.01

$2.14 $2.14

-46.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$22.18

$2.10 $2.10

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$78.7

$8.16 $8.16

-47.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 MX$185

$12.04 $12.04

-16.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$28.41

$1.82 $1.82

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$49.17

$1.87 $1.87

42.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.73

$2.05 $2.05

-74.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

$66.0 $66.0

-58.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 MX$90.6

$2.46 $2.46

99.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.43 MX$63.5

$1.20 $1.20

185.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 MX$99.4

$60.2 $60.2

-91.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.76

$0.98 $0.98

47.96%

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

$21.2K MX$391.0K

$34.6K $34.6K

-38.78%

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

$23.0K MX$425.3K

$25.6K $25.6K

-10.16%

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

$85.4 MX$1,577

$140 $140

-38.88%

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

$23.46 MX$434

$14.79 $14.79

58.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$525

$25.01 $25.01

13.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.2 MX$1,149

$35.57 $35.57

74.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

$20.34 $20.34

41.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MX$94.3

$14.81 $14.81

-65.56%

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

$201 MX$3,715

$1,164 $1,164

-82.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,947 MX$72.9K

$20.7K $20.7K

-80.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.39 MX$820

$61.3 $61.3

-27.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 MX$764

$21.96 $21.96

88.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 MX$1,344

$45.54 $45.54

59.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 MX$1,656

$75.1 $75.1

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$979 MX$18.1K

$933 $933

4.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 MX$6,887

$1,290 $1,290

-71.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 MX$31.1K

$1,237 $1,237

35.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 MX$20.2K

$2,164 $2,164

-49.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

$2,777 $2,777

42.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

$2,710 $2,710

126.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

$3,637 $3,637

-79.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.56

74.54%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Urbandale, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$373 31%

Urbandale, IA

$1.3K 55.9% 246% $918

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5%

Urbandale, IA

$342 14.8% 32.4% $84

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6%

Urbandale, IA

$258 11.2% 29% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Urbandale, IA

$179 7.8% 30.8% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Urbandale, IA

$92 4% 17.8% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$72 6%

Urbandale, IA

$65 2.8% 9.9% $7.2

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3%

Urbandale, IA

$83 3.6% 60% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $933 in Urbandale, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 393% higher in Urbandale, IA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $51.0 in Urbandale, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $342 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 Urbandale, IA

🕒 Local time

08:17 8:17 AM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

45,580

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Urbandale, IA 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Urbandale, IA is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,465 in Urbandale, IA. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,310 in Urbandale, IA. That's a gap of about 92%.

Public transport costs about 140% 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 $1,204, than in Urbandale, IA at $2,310. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Urbandale, IA 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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