Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sioux City, IA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,168 in Sioux City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Sioux City, IA
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Sioux City, IA Living Index
59

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

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Sioux City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,168

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,168 per month in Sioux City, IA vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sioux City, IA $2,168
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $3,305 per month in Sioux City, IA vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sioux City, IA $3,305
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $4,442 per month in Sioux City, IA vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sioux City, IA $4,442
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Sioux City, IA costs about 79% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sioux City, IA sits 61% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 $20.33

$10.76 MX$199

88.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.0 $56.0

$43.03 MX$795

30.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 $10.65

$11.79 MX$218

-9.67%

Cappuccino

$6.14 $6.14

$3.87 MX$71.4

58.66%

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

$2.11 $2.11

$1.37 MX$25.29

54.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.84 MX$15.44

110.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.10 MX$57.3

63.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.61 $5.61

$5.07 MX$93.6

10.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.44 MX$26.55

-39.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.23 MX$41.23

30.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.47 MX$27.17

129.93%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$2.53 MX$46.71

42.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 $7.92

$7.30 MX$135

8.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$7.86 MX$145

-3.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.77 $16.77

$12.79 MX$236

31.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.90 MX$53.6

63.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.44 MX$26.53

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.55 MX$47.07

57.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.06 MX$38.03

92.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.00 MX$36.97

-0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.01 MX$37.07

142.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.19 MX$22.02

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.26 MX$23.23

69.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$4.40 MX$81.4

103.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 $15.12

$9.59 MX$177

57.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.59 MX$29.41

6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.81 MX$51.9

9.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.57 MX$10.47

210.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.88 $47.88

$27.82 MX$514

72.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$4.98 MX$92.1

-60.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 $1.20

$3.50 MX$64.6

-65.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.61 $19.61

$5.40 MX$99.8

263.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.47 MX$27.08

-38.10%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

68.63%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

4.76%

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

$167 $167

$84.2 MX$1,556

97.92%

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

$52.4 $52.4

$23.99 MX$443

118.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$29.02 MX$536

137.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 $98.8

$63.0 MX$1,164

56.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 $20.08

$29.14 MX$539

-31.09%

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 $15.05

$4.94 MX$91.3

204.66%

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

$1,098 $1,098

$204 MX$3,763

439.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

203.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.40 $43.40

$43.60 MX$806

-0.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.73 $21.73

$43.12 MX$797

-49.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 $77.2

$75.8 MX$1,400

1.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 $89.3

$88.6 MX$1,637

0.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 $923

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 $922

$374 MX$6,911

146.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 $1,481

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-13.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,743 $1,743

$1,106 MX$20.4K

57.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,546 $1,546

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-60.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,546 $1,546

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-74.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 $3,592

$754 MX$13.9K

376.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.45

-42.62%

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

Last update for Sioux City, IA: October 10, 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

Sioux City, IA

$922 42.5%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 59.4% $548

Groceries & Markets

Sioux City, IA

$342 15.8%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 24.5% $84

Eating Out

Sioux City, IA

$320 14.8%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 36.9% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sioux City, IA

$288 13.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 52.4% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Sioux City, IA

$129 5.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 43.5% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Sioux City, IA

$104 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 8.4% $8.8

Getting Around

Sioux City, IA

$63 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 16.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $923 in Sioux City, IA 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 376% higher in Sioux City, IA, 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 $56.0 in Sioux City, IA versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $342 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sioux City, IA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

10:25 10:25 AM

Same time as Sioux City, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,797

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Sioux City, IA Playa del Carmen 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sioux City, IA
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

Sioux City, IA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sioux City, IA is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,252 per month in Sioux City, IA 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 $2,168 in Sioux City, IA and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 79%.

Public transport costs about 72% 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 Sioux City, IA at $2,168. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sioux City, IA 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sioux City, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.