Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,621 in Redlands, CA, rent and utilities included – about $28,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Redlands, CA
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Redlands, CA Living Index
59

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

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Redlands, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,621

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,621 per month in Redlands, CA vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Redlands, CA $3,621
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $5,009 per month in Redlands, CA vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Redlands, CA $5,009
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $6,397 per month in Redlands, CA vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Redlands, CA $6,397
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Redlands, CA costs about 199% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Redlands, CA sits 168% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.97 $24.97

$10.76 MX$199

132.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$43.03 MX$795

77.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.32 $16.32

$11.79 MX$218

38.42%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$3.87 MX$71.4

58.14%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$1.37 MX$25.29

121.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.84 MX$15.44

185.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$3.10 MX$57.3

156.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.15 $10.15

$5.07 MX$93.6

100.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.44 MX$26.55

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.23 MX$41.23

112.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.47 MX$27.17

222.45%

Eggs

$5.64 $5.64

$2.53 MX$46.71

122.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$7.30 MX$135

83.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 $11.03

$7.86 MX$145

40.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.78 $19.78

$12.79 MX$236

54.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.90 MX$53.6

74.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.44 MX$26.53

68.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.55 MX$47.07

92.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.06 MX$38.03

164.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.00 MX$36.97

71.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.01 MX$37.07

48.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.19 MX$22.02

73.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.26 MX$23.23

126.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$4.40 MX$81.4

165.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 $14.92

$9.59 MX$177

55.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.59 MX$29.41

52.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.81 MX$51.9

75.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.57 MX$10.47

254.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.71 $34.71

$27.82 MX$514

24.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 $3.12

$4.98 MX$92.1

-37.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.50 MX$64.6

-48.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.29 $32.29

$5.40 MX$99.8

497.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.47 MX$27.08

2.04%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

72.99%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

8.71%

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

$277 $277

$84.2 MX$1,556

229.39%

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

$80.9 $80.9

$23.99 MX$443

237.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.8 $79.8

$29.02 MX$536

175.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.19 $25.19

$63.0 MX$1,164

-60.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$19.98 $19.98

$4.94 MX$91.3

304.45%

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

$1,188 $1,188

$204 MX$3,763

483.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.1K $32.1K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

713.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 $62.5

$43.60 MX$806

43.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$43.12 MX$797

17.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$75.8 MX$1,400

39.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$88.6 MX$1,637

18.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,937 $1,937

$1,008 MX$18.6K

92.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 $2,059

$374 MX$6,911

450.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,465 $3,465

$1,708 MX$31.6K

102.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,070 $3,070

$1,106 MX$20.4K

177.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,057 $4,057

$3,944 MX$72.9K

2.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,156 $4,156

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-32.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,746 $4,746

$754 MX$13.9K

529.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

11.45

-40.09%

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

Last update for Redlands, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Redlands, CA

$2.1K 56.9%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 81.8% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Redlands, CA

$454 12.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 43.1% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Redlands, CA

$438 12.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 68.7% $301

Eating Out

Redlands, CA

$404 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 49.9% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Redlands, CA

$146 4%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 22.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Redlands, CA

$65 1.8%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 11.9% $7.7

Getting Around

Redlands, CA

$55 1.5%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 4.3% $2.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,937 in Redlands, CA versus $1,008 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 529% higher in Redlands, CA, 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 $76.0 in Redlands, CA versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $454 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Redlands, CA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:31 7:31 PM

21:31 9:31 PM

2 h ahead of Redlands, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,747

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Redlands, CA Playa del Carmen 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Redlands, 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

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

Yes – Redlands, CA is pricier by about 199%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,431 per month in Redlands, CA and $1,816 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 $3,621 in Redlands, CA and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 199%.

Public transport costs about 25% 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 $1,210, than in Redlands, CA at $3,621. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Redlands, 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.

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, Redlands, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.