Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,919 in Southampton, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Southampton, NY, United States
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Southampton, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,919
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,919 per month in Southampton, NY vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Southampton, NY $2,919
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,134 per month in Southampton, NY vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Southampton, NY $4,134
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,349 per month in Southampton, NY vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Southampton, NY $5,349
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Southampton, NY costs about 142% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Southampton, NY sits 114% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Southampton, NY
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.92 $24.92
$10.92 MX$204
128.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$101 $101
$43.37 MX$808
132.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.22 $11.22
$11.78 MX$220
-4.75%
Cappuccino
$5.41 $5.41
$3.81 MX$71.0
41.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 $2.12
$1.28 MX$23.90
65.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 $1.53
$0.78 MX$14.59
96.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.10 $8.10
$3.17 MX$59.0
155.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.77 $7.77
$4.93 MX$92.0
57.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Southampton, NY
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.41 MX$26.22
-9.93%
White Bread (500g)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.22 MX$41.33
95.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.55 $7.55
$1.42 MX$26.42
431.69%
Eggs
$5.90 $5.90
$2.52 MX$47.03
134.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.50 $12.50
$7.26 MX$135
72.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.75 $11.75
$7.70 MX$143
52.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.37 $17.37
$12.69 MX$237
36.88%
Apples (1kg)
$5.48 $5.48
$2.78 MX$51.9
97.12%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.37 MX$25.50
29.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.18 $6.18
$2.55 MX$47.55
142.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.11 $6.11
$2.12 MX$39.58
188.21%
Potato (1kg)
$5.59 $5.59
$1.94 MX$36.13
188.14%
Onion (1kg)
$3.86 $3.86
$1.89 MX$35.16
104.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.79 $2.79
$1.15 MX$21.37
142.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.81 $2.81
$1.18 MX$21.98
138.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.47 $11.47
$4.30 MX$80.1
166.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$24.03 $24.03
$9.95 MX$185
141.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.58 MX$29.52
8.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.38 $5.38
$2.67 MX$49.79
101.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Southampton, NY
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.71 $1.71
$0.55 MX$10.31
210.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$51.0 $51.0
$26.62 MX$496
91.62%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.94 $2.94
$4.97 MX$92.6
-40.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.99 $1.99
$3.33 MX$62.1
-40.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.61 $23.61
$5.36 MX$99.8
340.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.44 MX$26.92
-25.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K $27.7K
$20.7K MX$385.2K
33.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$23.5K MX$437.4K
9.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Southampton, NY
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$211 $211
$84.8 MX$1,581
149.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$75.6 $75.6
$23.41 MX$436
222.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$28.66 MX$534
105.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Southampton, NY
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.20 $40.20
$57.1 MX$1,063
-29.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$539
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.31 $14.31
$5.14 MX$95.8
178.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Southampton, NY
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,495 $2,495
$207 MX$3,851
1108.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.4K $23.4K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
495.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Southampton, NY
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.84 $40.84
$43.35 MX$808
-5.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.4 $56.4
$41.44 MX$772
36.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.2 $76.2
$74.2 MX$1,383
2.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$157 $157
$89.3 MX$1,664
76.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Southampton, NY
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,587 $1,587
$980 MX$18.3K
62.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,428 $1,428
$381 MX$7,099
274.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,476 $2,476
$1,708 MX$31.8K
44.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,954 $1,954
$1,075 MX$20.0K
81.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,828 $2,828
$3,943 MX$73.5K
-28.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,385 $2,385
$6,158 MX$114.8K
-61.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Southampton, NY
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
11.45
-41.05%

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

Last update for Southampton, NY: October 24, 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
Southampton, NY
$1.4K
Playa del Carmen
$381 73.3% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Southampton, NY
$488
Playa del Carmen
$255 47.8% $234
Eating Out
Southampton, NY
$369
Playa del Carmen
$202 45.1% $166
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Southampton, NY
$346
Playa del Carmen
$137 60.4% $209
Clothing & Footwear
Southampton, NY
$149
Playa del Carmen
$112 25% $37
Getting Around
Southampton, NY
$71
Playa del Carmen
$50 28.7% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Southampton, NY
$69
Playa del Carmen
$67 2.2% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,587 in Southampton, NY 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Southampton, NY versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $488 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Southampton, NY
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
18:29 6:29 PM
17:29 5:29 PM
1 h behind Southampton, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
69,036
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Southampton, NY Playa del Carmen 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Southampton, 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
Southampton, NY vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Southampton, NY?
Yes – Southampton, NY is pricier by about 142%, 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 $4,378 per month in Southampton, NY 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 $1,587 in Southampton, NY.
What are total monthly expenses in Southampton, NY and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,919 in Southampton, NY and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 59% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 48% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Southampton, NY 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 Southampton, NY at $2,919. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Southampton, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Southampton, NY 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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
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.

Southampton, NY vs other spots: cost of living compared

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