Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redondo Beach, CA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,923 in Redondo Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $32,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Redondo Beach, CA, United States
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Redondo Beach, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,923
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,923 per month in Redondo Beach, CA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Redondo Beach, CA $3,923
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $5,674 per month in Redondo Beach, CA vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Redondo Beach, CA $5,674
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $7,424 per month in Redondo Beach, CA vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Redondo Beach, CA $7,424
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Redondo Beach, CA costs about 226% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Redondo Beach, CA sits 188% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Redondo Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.30 $25.30
$10.92 MX$205
131.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.7 $80.7
$43.37 MX$815
86.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.72 $14.72
$11.78 MX$221
24.96%
Cappuccino
$5.61 $5.61
$3.81 MX$71.6
47.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.53 $3.53
$1.28 MX$24.10
175.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$0.78 MX$14.71
202.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.65 $7.65
$3.17 MX$59.5
141.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.25 $9.25
$4.93 MX$92.7
87.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Redondo Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.41 MX$26.43
-21.28%
White Bread (500g)
$4.44 $4.44
$2.22 MX$41.66
100.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.76 $4.76
$1.42 MX$26.64
235.21%
Eggs
$5.67 $5.67
$2.52 MX$47.41
125.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.36 $15.36
$7.26 MX$137
111.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.26 $15.26
$7.70 MX$145
98.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.02 $19.02
$12.69 MX$239
49.88%
Apples (1kg)
$4.98 $4.98
$2.78 MX$52.3
79.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.37 MX$25.71
29.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.43 $5.43
$2.55 MX$47.94
112.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.72 $5.72
$2.12 MX$39.90
169.81%
Potato (1kg)
$3.64 $3.64
$1.94 MX$36.43
87.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 $2.42
$1.89 MX$35.44
28.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.06 $2.06
$1.15 MX$21.55
79.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.74 $2.74
$1.18 MX$22.16
132.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.80 $11.80
$4.30 MX$80.7
174.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.27 $15.27
$9.95 MX$187
53.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$1.58 MX$29.76
59.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.21 $4.21
$2.67 MX$50.2
57.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Redondo Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.99 $0.99
$0.55 MX$10.40
80.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.62 MX$500
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.12 $6.12
$4.97 MX$93.4
23.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.33 MX$62.6
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.36 MX$101
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 $1.48
$1.44 MX$27.14
2.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.2K $29.2K
$20.7K MX$388.4K
41.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$23.5K MX$441.0K
11.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Redondo Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$201 $201
$84.8 MX$1,594
136.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$23.41 MX$440
192.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.7 $58.7
$28.66 MX$539
104.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Redondo Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$96.6 $96.6
$57.1 MX$1,072
69.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$543
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.86 $14.86
$5.14 MX$96.6
189.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Redondo Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,161 $1,161
$207 MX$3,882
462.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$3,927 MX$73.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Redondo Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.5 $56.5
$43.35 MX$815
30.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.37 $39.37
$41.44 MX$779
-5.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 $104
$74.2 MX$1,394
40.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$89.3 MX$1,677
15.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Redondo Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,095 $3,095
$980 MX$18.4K
215.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,457 $2,457
$381 MX$7,157
545.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,964 $4,964
$1,708 MX$32.1K
190.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,169 $4,169
$1,075 MX$20.2K
287.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,453 $7,453
$3,943 MX$74.1K
89.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,504 $6,504
$6,158 MX$115.7K
5.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Redondo Beach, CA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,606 $7,606
$735 MX$13.8K
935.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.39
11.45
-44.19%

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

Last update for Redondo Beach, 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
Redondo Beach, CA
$2.5K
Playa del Carmen
$381 84.5% $2.1K
Groceries & Markets
Redondo Beach, CA
$471
Playa del Carmen
$255 45.9% $216
Eating Out
Redondo Beach, CA
$394
Playa del Carmen
$202 48.7% $192
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Redondo Beach, CA
$328
Playa del Carmen
$137 58.2% $191
Clothing & Footwear
Redondo Beach, CA
$136
Playa del Carmen
$112 18.1% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Redondo Beach, CA
$126
Playa del Carmen
$67 46.7% $59
Getting Around
Redondo Beach, CA
$10 *
Playa del Carmen
$50 401% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,095 in Redondo Beach, 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 Redondo Beach, CA are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Redondo Beach, CA versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $471 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Redondo Beach, CA
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
23:08 11:08 PM
02:08 2:08 AM
3 h ahead of Redondo Beach, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
67,346
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Redondo Beach, CA Playa del Carmen 3,410 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Redondo Beach, 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
Redondo Beach, CA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Redondo Beach, CA?
Yes – Redondo Beach, CA is pricier by about 226%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,885 per month in Redondo Beach, CA and $1,806 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 $980 there versus $3,095 in Redondo Beach, CA.
What are total monthly expenses in Redondo Beach, CA and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,923 in Redondo Beach, CA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 69% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,161 per month in Redondo Beach, CA and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Redondo Beach, CA or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Redondo Beach, CA at $3,923. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Redondo Beach, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Redondo Beach, CA 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, Redondo Beach, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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