Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redding, CA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,347 in Redding, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Redding, CA
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Redding, CA Living Index
58

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

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Redding, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,347

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,347 per month in Redding, CA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Redding, CA $2,347
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,370 per month in Redding, CA vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Redding, CA $3,370
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,394 per month in Redding, CA vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Redding, CA $4,394
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Redding, CA costs about 95% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Redding, CA sits 72% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 $14.82

$10.92 MX$204

35.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$43.37 MX$808

40.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 $11.96

$11.78 MX$220

1.53%

Cappuccino

$5.30 $5.30

$3.81 MX$71.0

39.11%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$1.28 MX$23.90

92.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.78 MX$14.59

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.17 MX$59.0

85.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.93 MX$92.0

1.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.41 MX$26.22

-21.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.22 MX$41.33

85.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$1.42 MX$26.42

126.76%

Eggs

$4.08 $4.08

$2.52 MX$47.03

61.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 $11.76

$7.26 MX$135

61.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$7.70 MX$143

113.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.74 $18.74

$12.69 MX$237

47.68%

Apples (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.78 MX$51.9

116.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.37 MX$25.50

20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.55 MX$47.55

7.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$2.12 MX$39.58

161.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.94 MX$36.13

103.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.89 MX$35.16

59.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.15 MX$21.37

125.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.18 MX$21.98

14.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$4.30 MX$80.1

177.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.58 $10.58

$9.95 MX$185

6.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.58 MX$29.52

8.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.67 MX$49.79

35.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.55 MX$10.31

261.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.6 $50.6

$26.62 MX$496

90.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.97 MX$92.6

-35.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.33 MX$62.1

-27.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.15 $40.15

$5.36 MX$99.8

649.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.44 MX$26.92

6.25%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

31.80%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

12.84%

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

$191 $191

$84.8 MX$1,581

125.43%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$23.41 MX$436

152.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$28.66 MX$534

139.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.26 $47.26

$57.1 MX$1,063

-17.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$10.95 $10.95

$5.14 MX$95.8

113.04%

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

$2,527 $2,527

$207 MX$3,851

1123.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.6K $37.6K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

857.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 $64.6

$43.35 MX$808

49.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.84 $32.84

$41.44 MX$772

-20.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.8 $91.8

$74.2 MX$1,383

23.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 $202

$89.3 MX$1,664

126.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 $1,377

$980 MX$18.3K

40.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 $1,018

$381 MX$7,099

167.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,876 $1,876

$1,708 MX$31.8K

9.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,513 $1,513

$1,075 MX$20.0K

40.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,028 $3,028

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-23.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,561 $2,561

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-58.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,672 $3,672

$735 MX$13.7K

399.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

11.45

-41.48%

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

Last update for Redding, CA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Redding, CA

$1K 43.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 62.6% $637

Groceries & Markets

Redding, CA

$416 17.7%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 38.7% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Redding, CA

$319 13.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 57.1% $182

Eating Out

Redding, CA

$275 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 26.4% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Redding, CA

$176 7.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 36.5% $64

Getting Around

Redding, CA

$74 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 31.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Redding, CA

$69 3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 2.7% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,377 in Redding, CA versus $980 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 Redding, CA are about 5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Redding, CA versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Redding, CA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:08 2:08 PM

16:08 4:08 PM

2 h ahead of Redding, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,582

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Redding, CA Playa del Carmen 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Redding, CA
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

Redding, CA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Redding, CA is pricier by about 95%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,520 per month in Redding, CA and $1,806 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,377 in Redding, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,347 in Redding, CA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 49% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 47% 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 Redding, CA at $2,347. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Redding, CA 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, Redding, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.