Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Texas City, TX and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,976 in Texas City, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Texas City, TX
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Texas City, TX Living Index
58

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

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Texas City, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,976

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,976 per month in Texas City, TX vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Texas City, TX $1,976
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,884 per month in Texas City, TX vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Texas City, TX $2,884
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $3,793 per month in Texas City, TX vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Texas City, TX $3,793
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Texas City, TX costs about 64% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Texas City, TX sits 45% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.02 $18.02

$10.92 MX$204

65.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$43.37 MX$808

70.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.13 $10.13

$11.78 MX$220

-14.01%

Cappuccino

$4.07 $4.07

$3.81 MX$71.0

6.82%

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

$1.27 $1.27

$1.28 MX$23.90

-0.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.78 MX$14.59

142.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$3.17 MX$59.0

94.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.93 MX$92.0

40.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.41 MX$26.22

-45.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.22 MX$41.33

20.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.42 MX$26.42

130.28%

Eggs

$4.08 $4.08

$2.52 MX$47.03

61.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$7.26 MX$135

-10.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.35 $14.35

$7.70 MX$143

86.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.27 $10.27

$12.69 MX$237

-19.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.78 MX$51.9

70.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.37 MX$25.50

10.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.55 MX$47.55

73.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.12 MX$39.58

104.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.94 MX$36.13

56.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.89 MX$35.16

26.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.15 MX$21.37

55.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.18 MX$21.98

87.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.09 $8.09

$4.30 MX$80.1

88.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$9.95 MX$185

-0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.58 MX$29.52

80.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.67 MX$49.79

24.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.55 MX$10.31

80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.58 $40.58

$26.62 MX$496

52.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.97 MX$92.6

-43.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 $1.61

$3.33 MX$62.1

-51.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.37 $20.37

$5.36 MX$99.8

280.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.44 MX$26.92

-43.06%

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

$34.6K $34.6K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

67.52%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

13.98%

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

$227 $227

$84.8 MX$1,581

167.35%

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

$25.02 $25.02

$23.41 MX$436

6.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$28.66 MX$534

147.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.04 $15.04

$57.1 MX$1,063

-73.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 $13.94

$5.14 MX$95.8

171.21%

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

$1,192 $1,192

$207 MX$3,851

476.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K $21.2K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

440.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$43.35 MX$808

21.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.94 $42.94

$41.44 MX$772

3.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 $65.5

$74.2 MX$1,383

-11.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$89.3 MX$1,664

18.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 $1,069

$980 MX$18.3K

9.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$808 $808

$381 MX$7,099

112.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,706 $1,706

$1,708 MX$31.8K

-0.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,250 $1,250

$1,075 MX$20.0K

16.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,121 $9,121

$3,943 MX$73.5K

131.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,895 $7,895

$6,158 MX$114.8K

28.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,610 $4,610

$735 MX$13.7K

527.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

11.45

-42.97%

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

Last update for Texas City, TX: 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

Texas City, TX

$808 40.9%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 52.9% $428

Groceries & Markets

Texas City, TX

$346 17.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 26.4% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Texas City, TX

$323 16.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 57.6% $186

Eating Out

Texas City, TX

$281 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 27.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Texas City, TX

$120 6.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 7.1% $8.5

Getting Around

Texas City, TX

$55 2.8%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 8.9% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Texas City, TX

$43 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 56.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,069 in Texas City, TX 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 Texas City, TX are about 6.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Texas City, TX versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $346 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Texas City, TX

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:10 10:10 PM

Same time as Texas City, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,099

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 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 = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Texas City, TX Playa del Carmen 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Texas City, TX
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

Texas City, TX vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Texas City, TX is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,965 per month in Texas City, TX and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,069 in Texas City, TX and $980 in Playa del Carmen. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,976 in Texas City, TX and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 39% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Texas City, TX at $1,976. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Texas City, TX 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, Texas City, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.