Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quincy, MA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $4,172 in Quincy, MA, rent and utilities included – about $35,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Quincy, MA, United States
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Quincy, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$4,172
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quincy, MA 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 Quincy, MA and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,172 per month in Quincy, MA vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Quincy, MA $4,172
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $5,775 per month in Quincy, MA vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Quincy, MA $5,775
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $7,379 per month in Quincy, MA vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Quincy, MA $7,379
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Quincy, MA costs about 247% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Quincy, MA sits 209% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Quincy, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.67 $29.67
$10.67 MX$199
178.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$118 $118
$43.80 MX$815
170.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.10 $12.10
$11.79 MX$219
2.63%
Cappuccino
$5.23 $5.23
$3.79 MX$70.5
37.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.30 MX$24.14
125.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 $2.53
$0.83 MX$15.51
204.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.79 $6.79
$3.15 MX$58.6
115.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.83 $7.83
$4.93 MX$91.8
58.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Quincy, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.41 MX$26.22
-10.64%
White Bread (500g)
$3.87 $3.87
$2.20 MX$40.86
75.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.45 $5.45
$1.47 MX$27.40
270.75%
Eggs
$4.89 $4.89
$2.50 MX$46.46
95.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.08 $11.08
$7.29 MX$136
51.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.26 $14.26
$7.95 MX$148
79.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.97 $17.97
$12.86 MX$239
39.74%
Apples (1kg)
$6.90 $6.90
$2.90 MX$53.9
137.93%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 $2.09
$1.38 MX$25.74
51.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.61 $6.61
$2.49 MX$46.35
165.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.58 $6.58
$2.03 MX$37.77
224.14%
Potato (1kg)
$3.54 $3.54
$2.02 MX$37.68
75.25%
Onion (1kg)
$3.97 $3.97
$1.90 MX$35.42
108.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.64 $2.64
$1.14 MX$21.30
131.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 $1.57
$1.24 MX$23.05
26.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.13 $13.13
$4.27 MX$79.5
207.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.96 $13.96
$9.81 MX$183
42.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.07 $2.07
$1.59 MX$29.51
30.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 $3.92
$2.75 MX$51.1
42.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Quincy, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.39 $2.39
$0.51 MX$9.58
368.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$109 $109
$27.39 MX$510
298.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.05 $4.05
$4.76 MX$88.6
-14.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.79 $1.79
$3.25 MX$60.5
-44.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.37 $28.37
$5.39 MX$100
426.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.53 MX$28.44
-25.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K $27.5K
$21.2K MX$394.8K
29.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$23.3K MX$432.9K
15.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quincy, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$242 $242
$83.5 MX$1,554
189.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$56.9 $56.9
$23.19 MX$431
145.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$80.2 $80.2
$27.61 MX$514
190.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Quincy, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$79.3 $79.3
$56.4 MX$1,050
40.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.4 $50.4
$28.19 MX$525
78.68%
Cinema Ticket
$15.19 $15.19
$5.00 MX$93.1
203.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Quincy, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,808 $1,808
$207 MX$3,854
773.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$44.5K $44.5K
$5,231 MX$97.3K
750.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Quincy, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.1 $64.1
$43.45 MX$809
47.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.57 $38.57
$42.54 MX$792
-9.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 $100.0
$72.8 MX$1,354
37.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 $102
$88.4 MX$1,645
14.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Quincy, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,126 $3,126
$995 MX$18.5K
214.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,556 $2,556
$382 MX$7,116
568.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,514 $4,514
$1,674 MX$31.2K
169.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,622 $3,622
$1,081 MX$20.1K
235.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,261 $3,261
$3,909 MX$72.7K
-16.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,247 $1,247
$6,138 MX$114.2K
-79.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Quincy, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,950 $5,950
$832 MX$15.5K
614.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.64
11.45
-42.01%

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

Last update for Quincy, MA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Quincy, MA
$2.6K
Playa del Carmen
$382 85% $2.2K
Groceries & Markets
Quincy, MA
$452
Playa del Carmen
$257 43% $194
Eating Out
Quincy, MA
$408
Playa del Carmen
$200 50.9% $208
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Quincy, MA
$379
Playa del Carmen
$134 64.5% $244
Clothing & Footwear
Quincy, MA
$137
Playa del Carmen
$111 18.8% $26
Getting Around
Quincy, MA
$132
Playa del Carmen
$50 61.6% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Quincy, MA
$110
Playa del Carmen
$66 39.4% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,126 in Quincy, MA versus $995 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.

Salaries in Quincy, MA are about 7.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in Quincy, MA versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $452 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Quincy, MA
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
00:26 12:26 AM
00:26 12:26 AM
Same time as Quincy, MA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
92,271
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Quincy, MA Playa del Carmen 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Quincy, MA
  • 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
Quincy, MA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Quincy, MA?
Yes – Quincy, MA is pricier by about 247%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,258 per month in Quincy, MA and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $3,126 in Quincy, MA.
What are total monthly expenses in Quincy, MA and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,172 in Quincy, MA and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 71% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 75% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Quincy, MA or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Quincy, MA at $4,172. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quincy, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Quincy, MA or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Quincy, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Quincy, MA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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