Cost of Living Comparison Between Sterling and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Sterling and Playa del Carmen

😐 Solo nomad: Sterling is 43.3% more expensive than Playa del Carmen without rent, and 109.3% more expensive with rent.

😐 Family of 3: Sterling is 74.5% more expensive than Playa del Carmen without rent, and 69.8% more expensive with rent.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$11.88 MX$210

66.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.0 $84.0

$41.90 MX$740

100.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 $13.34

$10.55 MX$186

26.45%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$3.60 MX$63.5

50.56%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$1.50 MX$26.45

90.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.91 MX$16.09

147.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.08 MX$54.4

97.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.98 $7.98

$4.47 MX$78.8

78.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.39 MX$24.54

-31.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.90 MX$33.47

81.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.60 MX$28.27

36.87%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.60 MX$45.97

87.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.79 $18.79

$8.36 MX$148

124.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.79 $11.79

$8.64 MX$152

36.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.53 $18.53

$10.91 MX$192

69.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$2.61 MX$45.98

78.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.44 MX$25.46

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.34 $7.34

$1.96 MX$34.55

274.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$2.12 MX$37.34

203.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.86 MX$32.87

84.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.22 MX$39.20

27.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.02 MX$17.99

115.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.04 MX$18.36

128.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.14 $9.14

$4.05 MX$71.5

125.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.08 $14.08

$10.18 MX$180

38.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.69 MX$29.79

2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.62 MX$46.25

91.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.51 MX$9.09

284.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.52 MX$468

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.15 MX$55.7

41.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.46 MX$43.49

-42.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.39 $29.39

$3.26 MX$57.5

801.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.32 MX$23.36

-34.85%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$30.1K MX$531.0K

-10.45%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$23.8K MX$419.3K

2.13%

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

$207 $207

$83.5 MX$1,474

147.71%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$22.86 MX$404

126.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.4 $72.4

$30.04 MX$530

141.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.71 $28.71

$51.9 MX$916

-44.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.30 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 $15.18

$5.12 MX$90.4

196.48%

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

$1,742 $1,742

$201 MX$3,541

768.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$5,318 MX$93.9K

346.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.86 $46.86

$35.73 MX$631

31.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.69 $44.69

$40.27 MX$711

10.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 $98.1

$79.2 MX$1,398

23.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$89.3 MX$1,576

33.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 $1,252

$947 MX$16.7K

32.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 $1,376

$483 MX$8,525

184.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 $1,959

$1,599 MX$28.2K

22.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,263 $2,263

$1,211 MX$21.4K

86.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,269 $3,269

$3,996 MX$70.5K

-18.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$6,402 MX$113.0K

-63.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,702 $3,702

$730 MX$12.9K

407.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.42

-42.47%

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

Last update for Sterling: January 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: January 13, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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