Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Show Low, AZ and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,962 in Show Low, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Show Low, AZ
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Show Low, AZ Living Index
57

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

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Show Low, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,962

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,962 per month in Show Low, AZ vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Show Low, AZ $2,962
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $4,109 per month in Show Low, AZ vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Show Low, AZ $4,109
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Show Low, AZ vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Show Low, AZ $5,257
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Show Low, AZ costs about 146% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Show Low, AZ sits 119% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.62 $17.62

$10.67 MX$200

65.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 $78.5

$43.80 MX$823

79.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.84 $18.84

$11.79 MX$221

59.80%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$3.79 MX$71.1

53.83%

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

$3.60 $3.60

$1.30 MX$24.36

176.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$0.83 MX$15.65

214.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.15 MX$59.1

92.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$4.93 MX$92.7

43.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.41 MX$26.46

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.20 MX$41.23

95.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$1.47 MX$27.66

195.92%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$2.50 MX$46.89

67.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 $11.76

$7.29 MX$137

61.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.48 $11.48

$7.95 MX$149

44.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.51 $19.51

$12.86 MX$242

51.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.90 MX$54.4

59.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.38 MX$25.98

17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.49 MX$46.78

67.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.03 MX$38.12

121.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.02 MX$38.03

50.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.90 MX$35.74

54.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.14 MX$21.49

78.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.24 MX$23.27

68.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 $9.22

$4.27 MX$80.2

115.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$9.81 MX$184

54.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.59 MX$29.78

15.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.75 MX$51.6

25.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.51 MX$9.67

303.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 $53.3

$27.39 MX$514

94.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$4.76 MX$89.4

-17.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.25 MX$61.0

-46.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.46 $28.46

$5.39 MX$101

428.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.53 MX$28.70

-26.14%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$21.2K MX$398.4K

34.18%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$23.3K MX$436.9K

11.63%

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

$202 $202

$83.5 MX$1,568

142.48%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$23.19 MX$435

154.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 $101

$27.61 MX$519

264.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.75 $40.75

$56.4 MX$1,060

-27.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$529

Cinema Ticket

$8.93 $8.93

$5.00 MX$93.9

78.60%

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

$1,217 $1,217

$207 MX$3,889

487.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$5,231 MX$98.2K

251.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$43.45 MX$816

17.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$42.54 MX$799

3.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 $90.9

$72.8 MX$1,367

24.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$88.4 MX$1,660

16.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,485 $1,485

$995 MX$18.7K

49.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 $1,591

$382 MX$7,181

316.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,516 $2,516

$1,674 MX$31.4K

50.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,278 $2,278

$1,081 MX$20.3K

110.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,978 $2,978

$3,909 MX$73.4K

-23.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 $2,478

$6,138 MX$115.3K

-59.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

11.45

-42.45%

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

Last update for Show Low, AZ: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Show Low, AZ

$1.6K 53.7%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 76% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Show Low, AZ

$409 13.8%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 37.1% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Show Low, AZ

$362 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 62.9% $228

Eating Out

Show Low, AZ

$337 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 40.5% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Show Low, AZ

$130 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 14.5% $19

Getting Around

Show Low, AZ

$74 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 32% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Show Low, AZ

$59 2%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 13.4% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,485 in Show Low, AZ versus $995 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $78 in Show Low, AZ versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Show Low, AZ

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

04:02 4:02 AM

2 h ahead of Show Low, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,732

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 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 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Show Low, AZ Playa del Carmen 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Show Low, AZ
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

Show Low, AZ vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Show Low, AZ is pricier by about 146%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,443 per month in Show Low, AZ and $1,804 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 $995 there versus $1,485 in Show Low, AZ.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,962 in Show Low, AZ and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 59% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 49% 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 $1,202, than in Show Low, AZ at $2,962. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Show Low, AZ 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.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 59% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.