Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and West Palm Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,217 in West Palm Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in West Palm Beach, FL
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West Palm Beach, FL Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

West Palm Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in West Palm Beach, FL

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 West Palm Beach, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,217 in West Palm Beach, FL, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
West Palm Beach, FL $3,217

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,825 in West Palm Beach, FL, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
West Palm Beach, FL $4,825

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $6,433 in West Palm Beach, FL, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
West Palm Beach, FL $6,433

Playa del Carmen is about 63% cheaper than West Palm Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while West Palm Beach, FL is 136% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$21.09 $21.09

-48.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$815

$81.1 $81.1

-46.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$11.97 $11.97

-1.59%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.6

$5.40 $5.40

-29.44%

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

$1.28 MX$24.10

$2.45 $2.45

-47.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.71

$1.84 $1.84

-57.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$5.82 $5.82

-45.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$8.15 $8.15

-39.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.43

$1.06 $1.06

33.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.66

$3.08 $3.08

-27.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.64

$3.36 $3.36

-57.74%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.41

$3.56 $3.56

-29.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$137

$12.21 $12.21

-40.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$145

$11.08 $11.08

-30.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$239

$18.16 $18.16

-30.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$4.78 $4.78

-41.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.71

$1.72 $1.72

-20.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.94

$2.94 $2.94

-13.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.90

$4.70 $4.70

-54.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.43

$3.12 $3.12

-37.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.44

$3.33 $3.33

-43.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.55

$2.60 $2.60

-55.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.16

$2.41 $2.41

-51.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.7

$9.53 $9.53

-54.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$12.87 $12.87

-22.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

$1.72 $1.72

-8.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.2

$3.72 $3.72

-28.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

$2.04 $2.04

-73.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$68.8 $68.8

-61.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

$2.94 $2.94

69.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

$1.85 $1.85

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$34.88 $34.88

-84.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

$1.00 $1.00

44.00%

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

$20.7K MX$388.4K

$28.1K $28.1K

-26.37%

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

$23.5K MX$441.0K

$26.0K $26.0K

-9.81%

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

$84.8 MX$1,594

$201 $201

-57.91%

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

$23.41 MX$440

$63.9 $63.9

-63.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$539

$76.2 $76.2

-62.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,072

$41.67 $41.67

36.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$24.98 $24.98

15.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.6

$10.10 $10.10

-49.11%

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

$207 MX$3,882

$1,488 $1,488

-86.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

$21.4K $21.4K

-81.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$815

$63.9 $63.9

-32.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$779

$40.88 $40.88

1.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,394

$95.0 $95.0

-21.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,677

$110 $110

-19.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$2,624 $2,624

-62.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

$1,870 $1,870

-79.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$5,348 $5,348

-68.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$3,427 $3,427

-68.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

$5,343 $5,343

-26.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

$3,324 $3,324

85.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$3,976 $3,976

-81.53%

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 25, 2026

Last update for West Palm Beach, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

West Palm Beach, FL

$1.9K 58.2% 391% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

West Palm Beach, FL

$382 11.9% 50% $127

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

West Palm Beach, FL

$332 10.3% 64.1% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

West Palm Beach, FL

$342 10.6% 150% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

West Palm Beach, FL

$140 4.3% 24.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

West Palm Beach, FL

$62 1.9% 8.1% $5.5

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

West Palm Beach, FL

$89 2.8% 76.7% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,624 in West Palm Beach, FL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in West Palm Beach, FL are about 5.4 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 $81 in West Palm Beach, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $382 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇺🇸 West Palm Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

Same time as Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

117,415

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 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 = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 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 →

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Playa del Carmen West Palm Beach, FL 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
West Palm Beach, FL

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 West Palm Beach, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – West Palm Beach, FL is pricier by about 167%, 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 $4,825 in West Palm Beach, FL. 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 $980 there versus $2,624 in West Palm Beach, FL.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $3,217 in West Palm Beach, FL. That makes Playa del Carmen about 63% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 61% 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 West Palm Beach, FL at $3,217. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in West Palm Beach, FL 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, West Palm Beach, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.