Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,159 in Staunton, VA, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Staunton, VA
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Staunton, 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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Staunton, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,159

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,159 per month in Staunton, VA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Staunton, VA $2,159
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,278 per month in Staunton, VA vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Staunton, VA $3,278
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,397 per month in Staunton, VA vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Staunton, VA $4,397
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Staunton, VA costs about 79% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Staunton, VA sits 59% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$10.92 MX$205

79.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$43.37 MX$814

87.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.78 MX$221

8.23%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$3.81 MX$71.5

48.29%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$1.28 MX$24.07

135.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$0.78 MX$14.70

219.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.17 MX$59.5

23.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 $5.62

$4.93 MX$92.7

14.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.41 MX$26.40

-24.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.22 MX$41.62

51.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.42 MX$26.61

169.72%

Eggs

$4.59 $4.59

$2.52 MX$47.36

82.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 $11.30

$7.26 MX$136

55.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.55 $15.55

$7.70 MX$144

101.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.24 $15.24

$12.69 MX$238

20.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$2.78 MX$52.3

127.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.37 MX$25.68

8.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.55 MX$47.89

59.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.12 MX$39.86

92.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.94 MX$36.39

11.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.89 MX$35.41

44.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.15 MX$21.53

77.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.18 MX$22.13

114.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 $9.22

$4.30 MX$80.6

114.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 $15.70

$9.95 MX$187

57.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.58 MX$29.73

7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.67 MX$50.1

23.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.97 MX$93.3

-1.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.33 MX$62.5

-11.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 $35.25

$5.36 MX$101

557.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.44 MX$27.11

-37.50%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

13.00%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

1.63%

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

$173 $173

$84.8 MX$1,592

104.16%

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

$39.63 $39.63

$23.41 MX$439

69.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.58 $29.58

$28.66 MX$538

3.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.85 $43.85

$57.1 MX$1,071

-23.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$13.41 $13.41

$5.14 MX$96.5

160.89%

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

$3,116 $3,116

$207 MX$3,878

1408.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$65.3K $65.3K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

1562.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.5 $86.5

$43.35 MX$814

99.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 $55.8

$41.44 MX$778

34.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 $142

$74.2 MX$1,393

91.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$89.3 MX$1,676

70.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 $1,344

$980 MX$18.4K

37.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$904 $904

$381 MX$7,150

137.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 $1,646

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-3.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 $1,510

$1,075 MX$20.2K

40.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,222 $2,222

$3,943 MX$74.0K

-43.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,237 $2,237

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-63.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,974 $3,974

$735 MX$13.8K

441.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.99

11.45

-38.95%

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

Last update for Staunton, VA: 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

Staunton, VA

$904 41.9%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 57.9% $523

Groceries & Markets

Staunton, VA

$410 19%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 37.8% $155

Eating Out

Staunton, VA

$316 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 35.9% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Staunton, VA

$242 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 43.5% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Staunton, VA

$197 9.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 43.2% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Staunton, VA

$71 3.3%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 4.8% $3.4

Getting Around

Staunton, VA

$20 * 0.9%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 157% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,344 in Staunton, 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 Staunton, VA are about 5.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Staunton, VA versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $410 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Staunton, VA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

Same time as Staunton, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,528

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 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 = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Staunton, VA Playa del Carmen 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Staunton, 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

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

Yes – Staunton, VA is pricier by about 79%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,238 per month in Staunton, 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 $1,344 in Staunton, VA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,159 in Staunton, VA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 44% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,116 per month in Staunton, 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 Staunton, VA at $2,159. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Staunton, 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, Staunton, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.