Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Spring, TX and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,456 in Spring, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Spring, TX
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Spring, TX Living Index
58

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

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Spring, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,456

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,456 per month in Spring, TX vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Spring, TX $2,456
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,408 per month in Spring, TX vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Spring, TX $3,408
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,361 per month in Spring, TX vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Spring, TX $4,361
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Spring, TX costs about 104% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Spring, TX sits 80% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.42 $16.42

$10.92 MX$205

50.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 $50.5

$43.37 MX$815

16.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 $10.94

$11.78 MX$221

-7.13%

Cappuccino

$4.65 $4.65

$3.81 MX$71.6

22.05%

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

$1.54 $1.54

$1.28 MX$24.10

20.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.78 MX$14.71

85.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.16 $5.16

$3.17 MX$59.5

62.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 $6.15

$4.93 MX$92.7

24.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.41 MX$26.43

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.22 MX$41.66

8.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.42 MX$26.64

207.75%

Eggs

$2.79 $2.79

$2.52 MX$47.41

10.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.18 $11.18

$7.26 MX$137

53.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 $10.10

$7.70 MX$145

31.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.46 $10.46

$12.69 MX$239

-17.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.78 MX$52.3

33.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.37 MX$25.71

15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.55 MX$47.94

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.12 MX$39.90

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.94 MX$36.43

29.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.89 MX$35.44

58.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.15 MX$21.55

8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.18 MX$22.16

73.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$4.30 MX$80.7

133.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$9.95 MX$187

50.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.58 MX$29.76

37.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.67 MX$50.2

20.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.55 MX$10.40

123.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 $90.9

$26.62 MX$500

241.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$4.97 MX$93.4

-27.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.33 MX$62.6

-47.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.58 $23.58

$5.36 MX$101

339.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.44 MX$27.14

-45.83%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

31.09%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

9.23%

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

$179 $179

$84.8 MX$1,594

110.76%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$23.41 MX$440

152.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 $53.6

$28.66 MX$539

86.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.32 $25.32

$57.1 MX$1,072

-55.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$10.86 $10.86

$5.14 MX$96.6

111.28%

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

$962 $962

$207 MX$3,882

365.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K $18.7K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

375.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$43.35 MX$815

18.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.83 $39.83

$41.44 MX$779

-3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.7 $75.7

$74.2 MX$1,394

2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$89.3 MX$1,677

37.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 $1,651

$980 MX$18.4K

68.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 $1,281

$381 MX$7,157

236.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 $2,294

$1,708 MX$32.1K

34.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 $1,870

$1,075 MX$20.2K

73.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,557 $1,557

$3,943 MX$74.1K

-60.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 $1,223

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-80.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,811 $3,811

$735 MX$13.8K

418.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

11.45

-43.76%

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

Last update for Spring, TX: October 25, 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

Spring, TX

$1.3K 52.2%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 70.3% $900

Groceries & Markets

Spring, TX

$328 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 22.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Spring, TX

$291 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 53% $154

Eating Out

Spring, TX

$270 11%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 25.1% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Spring, TX

$130 5.3%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 14.2% $18

Getting Around

Spring, TX

$108 4.4%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 53.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Spring, TX

$47 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 43.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,651 in Spring, TX 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 Spring, TX are about 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Spring, TX versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $328 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Spring, TX

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:13 6:13 AM

07:13 7:13 AM

1 h ahead of Spring, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,298

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 = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Spring, TX Playa del Carmen 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Spring, TX
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

Spring, TX vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Spring, TX is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,684 per month in Spring, TX 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 $1,651 in Spring, TX.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,456 in Spring, TX and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 51% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 71% 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 Spring, TX at $2,456. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Spring, TX 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, Spring, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.