Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Taunton, MA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $3,367 in Taunton, MA, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Taunton, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,367
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,367 per month in Taunton, MA vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Taunton, MA $3,367
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,945 per month in Taunton, MA vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Taunton, MA $4,945
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $6,522 per month in Taunton, MA vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Taunton, MA $6,522
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Taunton, MA costs about 180% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Taunton, MA sits 149% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Taunton, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.93 $19.93
$10.86 MX$201
83.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$112 $112
$44.21 MX$817
153.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.26 $12.26
$11.76 MX$217
4.25%
Cappuccino
$5.42 $5.42
$3.68 MX$68.0
47.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 $3.12
$1.34 MX$24.79
132.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 $2.73
$0.82 MX$15.24
232.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.79 $7.79
$3.06 MX$56.6
154.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.94 $8.94
$4.94 MX$91.2
80.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Taunton, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.18 $1.18
$1.47 MX$27.17
-19.73%
White Bread (500g)
$4.06 $4.06
$2.22 MX$40.95
82.88%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.24 $5.24
$1.48 MX$27.32
254.05%
Eggs
$4.75 $4.75
$2.49 MX$45.99
90.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.14 $15.14
$7.52 MX$139
101.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.13 $14.13
$7.96 MX$147
77.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.04 $19.04
$12.57 MX$232
51.47%
Apples (1kg)
$6.66 $6.66
$2.78 MX$51.3
139.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.43 MX$26.37
24.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.40 $5.40
$2.62 MX$48.37
106.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.20 $6.20
$2.14 MX$39.49
189.72%
Potato (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$2.02 MX$37.38
124.75%
Onion (1kg)
$4.00 $4.00
$1.99 MX$36.74
101.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.05 $3.05
$1.14 MX$21.01
167.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.20 MX$22.18
49.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.30 $13.30
$4.26 MX$78.7
212.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.52 $15.52
$10.02 MX$185
54.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.54 MX$28.41
46.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.15 $4.15
$2.66 MX$49.17
56.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Taunton, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 $1.54
$0.53 MX$9.73
190.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.28 $39.28
$27.51 MX$508
42.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.53 $2.53
$4.90 MX$90.6
-48.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 $1.72
$3.43 MX$63.5
-49.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.53 $28.53
$5.38 MX$99.4
430.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$1.45 MX$26.76
-25.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$21.2K MX$391.0K
28.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$23.0K MX$425.3K
13.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taunton, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$280 $280
$85.4 MX$1,577
228.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$57.5 $57.5
$23.46 MX$434
145.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$84.9 $84.9
$28.43 MX$525
198.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Taunton, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.63 $32.63
$62.2 MX$1,149
-47.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.68 MX$530
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.65 $14.65
$5.10 MX$94.3
187.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Taunton, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,812 $1,812
$201 MX$3,715
801.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.9K $17.9K
$3,947 MX$72.9K
353.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Taunton, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.1 $57.1
$44.39 MX$820
28.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.05 $39.05
$41.35 MX$764
-5.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.4 $79.4
$72.7 MX$1,344
9.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.7 $99.7
$89.6 MX$1,656
11.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Taunton, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,638 $1,638
$979 MX$18.1K
67.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,893 $1,893
$373 MX$6,887
407.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,698 $2,698
$1,681 MX$31.1K
60.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,202 $3,202
$1,095 MX$20.2K
192.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,158 $3,158
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-20.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,540 $3,540
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-42.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Taunton, MA
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,182 $4,182
$738 MX$13.6K
467.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.64
11.45
-42.01%

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

Last update for Taunton, MA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Taunton, MA
$1.9K
Playa del Carmen
$373 80.3% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Taunton, MA
$468
Playa del Carmen
$258 44.8% $210
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Taunton, MA
$423
Playa del Carmen
$137 67.5% $285
Eating Out
Taunton, MA
$341
Playa del Carmen
$200 41.4% $141
Clothing & Footwear
Taunton, MA
$124
Playa del Carmen
$112 9.9% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Taunton, MA
$62
Playa del Carmen
$72 16.9% $10
Getting Around
Taunton, MA
$57
Playa del Carmen
$52 8.7% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,638 in Taunton, MA versus $979 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 run about 467% higher in Taunton, MA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $112 in Taunton, MA versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $468 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Taunton, MA
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
04:11 4:11 AM
03:11 3:11 AM
1 h behind Taunton, MA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
56,074
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Taunton, MA Playa del Carmen 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Taunton, MA
  • 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
Taunton, MA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Taunton, MA?
Yes – Taunton, MA is pricier by about 180%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,051 per month in Taunton, MA and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Taunton, MA and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,367 in Taunton, MA and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 180%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 43% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Taunton, MA or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Taunton, MA at $3,367. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Taunton, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Taunton, MA or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Taunton, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Taunton, MA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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