Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Queensbury, NY and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,459 in Queensbury, NY, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Queensbury, NY
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Queensbury, NY Living Index
60

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

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Queensbury, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,459

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Queensbury, NY and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Queensbury, NY and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,459 per month in Queensbury, NY vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Queensbury, NY $2,459
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $3,517 per month in Queensbury, NY vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Queensbury, NY $3,517
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $4,575 per month in Queensbury, NY vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Queensbury, NY $4,575
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Queensbury, NY costs about 102% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Queensbury, NY sits 83% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.14 $16.14

$10.97 MX$202

47.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.43 $32.43

$44.85 MX$825

-27.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 $7.36

$11.92 MX$219

-38.26%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$3.80 MX$70.0

37.63%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$1.31 MX$24.12

110.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.86 MX$15.75

198.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 $6.18

$3.21 MX$59.1

92.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 $8.93

$5.01 MX$92.2

78.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.46 MX$26.81

-35.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.33 MX$42.79

69.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.44 MX$26.52

198.61%

Eggs

$6.39 $6.39

$2.46 MX$45.26

159.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 $10.66

$7.70 MX$142

38.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$7.89 MX$145

33.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$12.80 MX$235

50.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.92 MX$53.6

93.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.42 MX$26.15

9.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.57 MX$47.17

28.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.14 MX$39.30

45.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.95 MX$35.80

14.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.94 MX$35.60

28.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.15 MX$21.16

130.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.22 MX$22.45

138.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.48 $13.48

$4.38 MX$80.5

207.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 $16.72

$9.85 MX$181

69.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.54 MX$28.27

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.72 MX$49.93

4.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.52 MX$9.65

288.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.42 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 $6.15

$4.91 MX$90.4

25.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.52 MX$64.8

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.54 $29.54

$5.69 MX$105

419.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.54 MX$28.32

-32.47%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.2K MX$390.5K

69.35%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$24.5K MX$450.3K

3.74%

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

$177 $177

$83.6 MX$1,537

112.12%

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

$37.25 $37.25

$24.03 MX$442

55.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.7 $59.7

$29.33 MX$539

103.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 $44.34

$64.9 MX$1,193

-31.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 $11.04

$5.09 MX$93.5

116.90%

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

$2,152 $2,152

$208 MX$3,819

936.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K $25.7K

$4,045 MX$74.4K

535.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.34 $38.34

$44.55 MX$819

-13.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.07 $16.07

$42.06 MX$773

-61.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$75.5 MX$1,389

32.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$91.4 MX$1,680

25.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,593 $1,593

$986 MX$18.1K

61.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 $1,310

$385 MX$7,083

240.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,540 $2,540

$1,713 MX$31.5K

48.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 $2,189

$1,108 MX$20.4K

97.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,438 $2,438

$4,016 MX$73.8K

-39.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,641 $2,641

$6,247 MX$114.9K

-57.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.45

-43.14%

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

Last update for Queensbury, NY: October 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Queensbury, NY

$1.3K 52.7%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 70.6% $925

Groceries & Markets

Queensbury, NY

$406 16.4%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 36% $146

Eating Out

Queensbury, NY

$284 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 28.2% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Queensbury, NY

$274 11%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 50.1% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Queensbury, NY

$121 4.9%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 5.9% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Queensbury, NY

$66 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 13% $8.6

Getting Around

Queensbury, NY

$23 * 0.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 126% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,593 in Queensbury, NY versus $986 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Queensbury, NY versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $406 in Queensbury, NY vs $260 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Queensbury, NY

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

19:31 7:31 PM

1 h behind Queensbury, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,169

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.44 USD

100 MXN = 4.85 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 18.39 MXN (100 MXN = 5.44 USD). 1 EUR = 20.61 MXN (100 MXN = 4.85 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Queensbury, NY Playa del Carmen 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Queensbury, NY
Playa del Carmen

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

Queensbury, NY vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Queensbury, NY is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,688 per month in Queensbury, NY and $1,823 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $2,459 in Queensbury, NY and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 102%.

Kindergarten costs $2,152 per month in Queensbury, NY and $208 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Queensbury, NY at $2,459. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Queensbury, NY 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, Queensbury, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.