Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Smithtown, NY and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,653 in Smithtown, NY, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Smithtown, NY
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Smithtown, NY Living Index
57

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

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Smithtown, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,653

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,653 per month in Smithtown, NY vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Smithtown, NY $2,653
Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $3,823 per month in Smithtown, NY vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Smithtown, NY $3,823
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,993 per month in Smithtown, NY vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Smithtown, NY $4,993
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Smithtown, NY costs about 121% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Smithtown, NY sits 96% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.68 $19.68

$10.67 MX$199

84.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.58 $49.58

$43.80 MX$815

13.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 $9.91

$11.79 MX$219

-15.95%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$3.79 MX$70.5

43.01%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$1.30 MX$24.14

65.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.83 MX$15.51

83.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.04 $8.04

$3.15 MX$58.6

155.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 $7.79

$4.93 MX$91.8

58.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.41 MX$26.22

-7.09%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.20 MX$40.86

90.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.43 $7.43

$1.47 MX$27.40

405.44%

Eggs

$5.72 $5.72

$2.50 MX$46.46

128.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$7.29 MX$136

72.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$7.95 MX$148

-23.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 $17.32

$12.86 MX$239

34.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$2.90 MX$53.9

89.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.38 MX$25.74

28.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$2.49 MX$46.35

155.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.03 MX$37.77

197.54%

Potato (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.02 MX$37.68

173.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.90 MX$35.42

106.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.14 MX$21.30

151.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.24 MX$23.05

130.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.84 $11.84

$4.27 MX$79.5

177.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.73 $24.73

$9.81 MX$183

152.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.59 MX$29.51

6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.75 MX$51.1

94.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.51 MX$9.58

276.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 $56.8

$27.39 MX$510

107.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$4.76 MX$88.6

-36.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.25 MX$60.5

-36.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.97 $23.97

$5.39 MX$100

344.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.53 MX$28.44

-23.53%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

31.69%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

14.30%

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

$215 $215

$83.5 MX$1,554

157.18%

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

$74.3 $74.3

$23.19 MX$431

220.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 $55.6

$27.61 MX$514

101.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.84 $43.84

$56.4 MX$1,050

-22.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.19 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$11.91 $11.91

$5.00 MX$93.1

138.20%

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

$2,436 $2,436

$207 MX$3,854

1076.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.7K $33.7K

$5,231 MX$97.3K

545.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.99 $41.99

$43.45 MX$809

-3.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 $57.1

$42.54 MX$792

34.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 $59.9

$72.8 MX$1,354

-17.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 $80.3

$88.4 MX$1,645

-9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 $1,561

$995 MX$18.5K

56.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$382 MX$7,116

232.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,604 $2,604

$1,674 MX$31.2K

55.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,104 $2,104

$1,081 MX$20.1K

94.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 $2,745

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-29.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,510 $2,510

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-59.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$832 MX$15.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.92

11.45

-39.56%

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

Last update for Smithtown, NY: 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

Smithtown, NY

$1.3K 47.9%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 69.9% $889

Groceries & Markets

Smithtown, NY

$461 17.4%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 44.1% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Smithtown, NY

$345 13%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 61% $210

Eating Out

Smithtown, NY

$323 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 37.9% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Smithtown, NY

$108 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 3.3% $3.5

Getting Around

Smithtown, NY

$78 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 35.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Smithtown, NY

$68 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 1.8% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,561 in Smithtown, NY 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 $50 in Smithtown, NY versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $461 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Smithtown, NY

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

02:27 2:27 AM

Same time as Smithtown, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

116,296

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 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 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Smithtown, NY Playa del Carmen 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Smithtown, NY
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

Smithtown, NY vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Smithtown, NY is pricier by about 121%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,979 per month in Smithtown, NY 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 $1,561 in Smithtown, NY.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,653 in Smithtown, NY and $1,202 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 55% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 52% 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 Smithtown, NY at $2,653. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Smithtown, NY 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 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.