Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stafford, VA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,568 in Stafford, VA, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Stafford, VA
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Stafford, VA Living Index
58

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

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Stafford, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,568

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,568 per month in Stafford, VA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stafford, VA $2,568
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,011 per month in Stafford, VA vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stafford, VA $4,011
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,454 per month in Stafford, VA vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Stafford, VA $5,454
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Stafford, VA costs about 113% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Stafford, VA sits 89% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.30 $16.30

$10.92 MX$203

49.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 $107

$43.37 MX$808

145.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$11.78 MX$219

1.70%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$3.81 MX$71.0

41.21%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$1.28 MX$23.89

144.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$0.78 MX$14.58

235.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 $6.81

$3.17 MX$59.0

114.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.93 MX$91.9

100.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.41 MX$26.20

-4.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.22 MX$41.30

38.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.19 $7.19

$1.42 MX$26.40

406.34%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.52 MX$47.00

100.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$7.26 MX$135

137.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.11 $11.11

$7.70 MX$143

44.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.41 $18.41

$12.69 MX$236

45.07%

Apples (1kg)

$7.04 $7.04

$2.78 MX$51.9

153.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.37 MX$25.49

67.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.55 MX$47.52

100.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$2.12 MX$39.55

180.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.94 MX$36.11

44.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.89 MX$35.13

96.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.15 MX$21.36

130.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.18 MX$21.96

134.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 $14.05

$4.30 MX$80.0

226.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$9.95 MX$185

61.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.58 MX$29.50

110.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.67 MX$49.76

111.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.97 MX$92.6

-18.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 $1.62

$3.33 MX$62.1

-51.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.50 $25.50

$5.36 MX$99.8

375.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.44 MX$26.90

-25.69%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$20.7K MX$385.0K

66.96%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$23.5K MX$437.2K

9.78%

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

$137 $137

$84.8 MX$1,580

62.00%

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

$81.7 $81.7

$23.41 MX$436

249.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.3 $79.3

$28.66 MX$534

176.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$17.85 $17.85

$5.14 MX$95.7

247.28%

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

$2,906 $2,906

$207 MX$3,848

1306.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.8K $40.8K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

938.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 $72.2

$43.35 MX$808

66.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.78 $44.78

$41.44 MX$772

8.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$74.2 MX$1,382

42.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$89.3 MX$1,663

40.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 $1,767

$980 MX$18.2K

80.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 $1,283

$381 MX$7,095

236.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,630 $2,630

$1,708 MX$31.8K

54.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,075 MX$20.0K

123.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,271 $3,271

$6,158 MX$114.7K

-46.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,504 $7,504

$735 MX$13.7K

921.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-47.60%

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

Last update for Stafford, VA: October 26, 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

Stafford, VA

$1.3K 50%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 70.3% $902

Groceries & Markets

Stafford, VA

$475 18.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 46.3% $220

Eating Out

Stafford, VA

$308 12%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 34.2% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stafford, VA

$298 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 54.1% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Stafford, VA

$157 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 28.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Stafford, VA

$36 * 1.4%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 88.6% $32

Getting Around

Stafford, VA

$12 * 0.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 315% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,767 in Stafford, VA 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 Stafford, VA are about 10 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Stafford, VA versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $475 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Stafford, VA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

23:29 11:29 PM

1 h behind Stafford, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,693

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Stafford, VA Playa del Carmen 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Stafford, VA
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

Stafford, VA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Stafford, VA is pricier by about 113%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,852 per month in Stafford, VA 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 $1,767 in Stafford, VA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,568 in Stafford, VA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 53% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,906 per month in Stafford, VA and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Stafford, VA at $2,568. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stafford, VA 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, Stafford, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.