Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Raleigh, NC and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,666 in Raleigh, NC, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index
60

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

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Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,666

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,666 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $2,666
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $3,913 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $3,913
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $5,159
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Raleigh, NC costs about 119% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Raleigh, NC sits 99% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.68 $23.68

$10.97 MX$201

115.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$44.85 MX$823

120.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$11.92 MX$219

-8.39%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$3.80 MX$69.9

52.63%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$1.31 MX$24.08

119.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.86 MX$15.72

156.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.21 MX$59.0

89.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 $7.10

$5.01 MX$92.0

41.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.46 MX$26.77

-36.99%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.33 MX$42.72

65.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.44 MX$26.48

115.28%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$2.46 MX$45.20

91.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 $15.26

$7.70 MX$141

98.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$7.89 MX$145

24.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.08 $18.08

$12.80 MX$235

41.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$2.92 MX$53.6

123.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.42 MX$26.11

-11.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.57 MX$47.10

78.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$2.14 MX$39.24

175.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.95 MX$35.75

54.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.94 MX$35.55

88.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.15 MX$21.13

80.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.22 MX$22.42

82.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 $9.60

$4.38 MX$80.3

119.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$9.85 MX$181

51.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.54 MX$28.23

44.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.72 MX$49.86

0.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.52 MX$9.64

167.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.65 $40.65

$27.42 MX$503

48.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$4.91 MX$90.2

-39.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.52 MX$64.7

-44.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.35 $18.35

$5.69 MX$104

222.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.54 MX$28.27

-37.01%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$21.2K MX$389.9K

70.76%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$24.5K MX$449.6K

2.05%

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

$193 $193

$83.6 MX$1,535

130.63%

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

$57.0 $57.0

$24.03 MX$441

137.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$29.33 MX$539

128.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.25 $36.25

$64.9 MX$1,191

-44.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.10 $5.10

$29.46 MX$541

-82.69%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 $15.28

$5.09 MX$93.4

200.20%

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

$1,463 $1,463

$208 MX$3,813

604.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$4,045 MX$74.3K

498.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$44.55 MX$818

20.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 $58.9

$42.06 MX$772

39.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 $92.6

$75.5 MX$1,387

22.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$91.4 MX$1,678

55.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 $1,750

$986 MX$18.1K

77.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 $1,298

$385 MX$7,072

236.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,055 $3,055

$1,713 MX$31.5K

78.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$1,108 MX$20.4K

82.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,971 $3,971

$4,016 MX$73.7K

-1.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$6,247 MX$114.7K

-65.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,299 $4,299

$758 MX$13.9K

467.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

11.45

-42.27%

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

Last update for Raleigh, NC: October 4, 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

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.7%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 70.3% $913

Groceries & Markets

Raleigh, NC

$414 15.5%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 37.1% $154

Eating Out

Raleigh, NC

$357 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 42.8% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Raleigh, NC

$317 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 56.8% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Raleigh, NC

$156 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 26.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Raleigh, NC

$67 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 12.3% $8.2

Getting Around

Raleigh, NC

$59 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 11.6% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,750 in Raleigh, NC 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.

Salaries run about 467% higher in Raleigh, NC, 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 $99.0 in Raleigh, NC versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $260 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

02:55 2:55 AM

1 h behind Raleigh, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,746

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Raleigh, NC Playa del Carmen 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Raleigh, NC
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

Raleigh, NC vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Raleigh, NC is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,998 per month in Raleigh, NC 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 $2,666 in Raleigh, NC and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 119%.

Public transport costs about 48% 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 $1,215, than in Raleigh, NC at $2,666. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Raleigh, NC 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Raleigh, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.