Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surprise, AZ and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,244 in Surprise, AZ, rent and utilities included – about $480 less a year. The total is higher in Surprise, AZ despite lower rent and utilities.

60

Cost of Living Index in Surprise, AZ
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Surprise, AZ Living Index
58

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

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Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,244

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Surprise, AZ vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surprise, AZ $1,244
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,511 per month in Surprise, AZ vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surprise, AZ $3,511
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,778 per month in Surprise, AZ vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Surprise, AZ $5,778
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Surprise, AZ costs about 3% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Surprise, AZ and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Surprise, AZ 9% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.95 $19.95

$10.92 MX$205

82.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 $84.8

$43.37 MX$815

95.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.71 $9.71

$11.78 MX$221

-17.57%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$3.81 MX$71.6

55.64%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$1.28 MX$24.10

136.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$0.78 MX$14.71

246.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$3.17 MX$59.5

91.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.82 $7.82

$4.93 MX$92.7

58.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.41 MX$26.43

-44.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.22 MX$41.66

74.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.42 MX$26.64

131.69%

Eggs

$4.31 $4.31

$2.52 MX$47.41

71.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$7.26 MX$137

83.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 $9.60

$7.70 MX$145

24.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 $14.98

$12.69 MX$239

18.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$2.78 MX$52.3

91.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.37 MX$25.71

39.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.55 MX$47.94

64.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.12 MX$39.90

24.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.94 MX$36.43

74.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.89 MX$35.44

69.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.15 MX$21.55

28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.18 MX$22.16

38.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.24 $11.24

$4.30 MX$80.7

161.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 $13.97

$9.95 MX$187

40.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.58 MX$29.76

10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.67 MX$50.2

14.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.40

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.97 MX$93.4

-43.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$3.33 MX$62.6

-59.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.82 $32.82

$5.36 MX$101

512.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.44 MX$27.14

-22.92%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

69.59%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

7.44%

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

$227 $227

$84.8 MX$1,594

167.38%

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

$60.2 $60.2

$23.41 MX$440

157.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 $65.8

$28.66 MX$539

129.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 $58.9

$57.1 MX$1,072

3.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 $11.18

$5.14 MX$96.6

117.51%

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

$1,020 $1,020

$207 MX$3,882

393.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K $22.9K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

483.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$43.35 MX$815

19.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.57 $45.57

$41.44 MX$779

9.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 $71.6

$74.2 MX$1,394

-3.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 $72.7

$89.3 MX$1,677

-18.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,157

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 $2,070

$1,708 MX$32.1K

21.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,015 $3,015

$1,075 MX$20.2K

180.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,584 $1,584

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-74.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,325 $4,325

$735 MX$13.8K

488.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.45

-42.10%

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

Last update for Surprise, AZ: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Surprise, AZ

$363 29.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 29.7% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surprise, AZ

$353 28.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 61.2% $216

Eating Out

Surprise, AZ

$329 26.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 38.5% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Surprise, AZ

$109 8.7%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 2.7% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Surprise, AZ

$81 6.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 17.2% $14

Getting Around

Surprise, AZ

$9.5 * 0.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 430% $41

Accommodation & Living

Surprise, AZ

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Surprise, AZ are about 5.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85 in Surprise, AZ versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

21:28 9:28 PM

2 h ahead of Surprise, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,148

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 = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Surprise, AZ Playa del Carmen 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Surprise, AZ
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

Surprise, AZ vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Surprise, AZ is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,866 per month in Surprise, AZ and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,244 in Surprise, AZ and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 3% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,020 per month in Surprise, AZ and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,244 in Surprise, AZ and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,244 in Surprise, AZ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Surprise, AZ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.