Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond, VA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,888 in Richmond, VA, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Richmond, VA
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Richmond, VA Living Index
58

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

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Richmond, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,888

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,888 per month in Richmond, VA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Richmond, VA $2,888
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,184 per month in Richmond, VA vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Richmond, VA $4,184
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,480 per month in Richmond, VA vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Richmond, VA $5,480
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Richmond, VA costs about 140% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Richmond, VA sits 112% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.80 $24.80

$10.92 MX$205

127.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$43.37 MX$815

127.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.56 $13.56

$11.78 MX$221

15.11%

Cappuccino

$5.99 $5.99

$3.81 MX$71.6

57.22%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$1.28 MX$24.10

114.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.78 MX$14.71

202.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 $7.19

$3.17 MX$59.5

126.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$4.93 MX$92.7

65.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.41 MX$26.43

-18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.22 MX$41.66

89.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.42 MX$26.64

169.72%

Eggs

$6.38 $6.38

$2.52 MX$47.41

153.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$7.26 MX$137

33.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.42 $11.42

$7.70 MX$145

48.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.96 $20.96

$12.69 MX$239

65.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.78 MX$52.3

73.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.37 MX$25.71

3.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.55 MX$47.94

54.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.12 MX$39.90

104.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.94 MX$36.43

47.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.89 MX$35.44

28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.15 MX$21.55

131.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.18 MX$22.16

75.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 $9.86

$4.30 MX$80.7

129.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 $13.16

$9.95 MX$187

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.58 MX$29.76

43.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.67 MX$50.2

69.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.90 $29.90

$26.62 MX$500

12.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$4.97 MX$93.4

-48.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.33 MX$62.6

-52.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.48 $22.48

$5.36 MX$101

319.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.44 MX$27.14

-29.86%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

32.34%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

9.67%

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

$209 $209

$84.8 MX$1,594

146.27%

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

$61.9 $61.9

$23.41 MX$440

164.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.8 $70.8

$28.66 MX$539

147.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 $56.4

$57.1 MX$1,072

-1.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.11 $20.11

$28.91 MX$543

-30.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 $15.19

$5.14 MX$96.6

195.53%

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

$1,245 $1,245

$207 MX$3,882

502.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K $31.0K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

689.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.4 $94.4

$43.35 MX$815

117.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 $46.32

$41.44 MX$779

11.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$74.2 MX$1,394

36.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$89.3 MX$1,677

30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 $1,655

$980 MX$18.4K

68.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 $1,465

$381 MX$7,157

284.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,726 $2,726

$1,708 MX$32.1K

59.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 $2,225

$1,075 MX$20.2K

106.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,132 $3,132

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-20.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,846 $2,846

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-53.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,325 $4,325

$735 MX$13.8K

488.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

11.45

-43.32%

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

Last update for Richmond, VA: October 26, 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

Richmond, VA

$1.5K 50.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 74% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Richmond, VA

$409 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 37.7% $154

Eating Out

Richmond, VA

$384 13.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 47.3% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Richmond, VA

$342 11.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 59.9% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Richmond, VA

$161 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 30.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Richmond, VA

$87 3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 22.5% $20

Getting Around

Richmond, VA

$40 * 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 24.9% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,655 in Richmond, VA 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 Richmond, VA are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Richmond, VA versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Richmond, VA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

Same time as Richmond, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

226,610

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 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).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Richmond, VA Playa del Carmen 2,100 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Richmond, VA
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

Richmond, VA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Richmond, VA is pricier by about 140%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,332 per month in Richmond, VA 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 $1,655 in Richmond, VA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,888 in Richmond, VA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 58% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 11% 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 Richmond, VA at $2,888. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Richmond, VA 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, Richmond, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.