Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Woodlands, TX and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,121 in The Woodlands, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in The Woodlands, TX
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The Woodlands, TX Living Index
59

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

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The Woodlands, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$3,121

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,121 per month in The Woodlands, TX vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

The Woodlands, TX $3,121
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $4,188 per month in The Woodlands, TX vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

The Woodlands, TX $4,188
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $5,254 per month in The Woodlands, TX vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

The Woodlands, TX $5,254
Playa del Carmen $3,016

The Woodlands, TX costs about 158% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The Woodlands, TX sits 131% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.12 $20.12

$10.76 MX$199

86.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.4 $95.4

$43.03 MX$795

121.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 $10.70

$11.79 MX$218

-9.25%

Cappuccino

$4.49 $4.49

$3.87 MX$71.4

16.02%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$1.37 MX$25.29

85.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.84 MX$15.44

121.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.10 MX$57.3

61.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 $5.52

$5.07 MX$93.6

8.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.44 MX$26.55

-21.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.23 MX$41.23

1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.47 MX$27.17

114.97%

Eggs

$2.29 $2.29

$2.53 MX$46.71

-9.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 $8.68

$7.30 MX$135

18.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$7.86 MX$145

84.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.02 $26.02

$12.79 MX$236

103.44%

Apples (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$2.90 MX$53.6

161.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.44 MX$26.53

-30.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.48 $7.48

$2.55 MX$47.07

193.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$2.06 MX$38.03

271.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.00 MX$36.97

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.01 MX$37.07

11.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.19 MX$22.02

12.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.26 MX$23.23

143.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.85 $5.85

$4.40 MX$81.4

32.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 $11.46

$9.59 MX$177

19.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.59 MX$29.41

28.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.81 MX$51.9

-47.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.80 $14.80

$5.40 MX$99.8

174.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.47 MX$27.08

-44.22%

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

$47.7K $47.7K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

127.43%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

3.48%

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

$198 $198

$84.2 MX$1,556

135.25%

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

$58.4 $58.4

$23.99 MX$443

143.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.74 $49.74

$29.02 MX$536

71.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.63 $35.63

$63.0 MX$1,164

-43.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$18.13 $18.13

$4.94 MX$91.3

267.00%

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

$204 MX$3,763

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.84 $37.84

$43.60 MX$806

-13.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.87 $19.87

$43.12 MX$797

-53.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.6 $62.6

$75.8 MX$1,400

-17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.1 $66.1

$88.6 MX$1,637

-25.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 $1,877

$1,008 MX$18.6K

86.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 $1,921

$374 MX$6,911

413.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,035 $3,035

$1,708 MX$31.6K

77.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,451 $2,451

$1,106 MX$20.4K

121.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,837 $1,837

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-53.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,860 $1,860

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-69.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,834 $7,834

$754 MX$13.9K

938.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.71

11.45

-41.40%

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

Last update for The Woodlands, TX: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

The Woodlands, TX

$1.9K 61.6%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 80.5% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

The Woodlands, TX

$437 14%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 40.8% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Woodlands, TX

$306 9.8%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 55.2% $169

Eating Out

The Woodlands, TX

$301 9.6%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 32.7% $98

Clothing & Footwear

The Woodlands, TX

$84 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 34.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

The Woodlands, TX

$72 2.3%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 1.4% $1

Getting Around

The Woodlands, TX

- * 0%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,877 in The Woodlands, TX versus $1,008 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 939% higher in The Woodlands, TX, 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 $95.0 in The Woodlands, TX versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $437 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 The Woodlands, TX

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:48 6:48 PM

Same time as The Woodlands, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

93,847

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

The Woodlands, TX Playa del Carmen 1,360 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

The Woodlands, 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

The Woodlands, TX vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – The Woodlands, TX is pricier by about 158%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,681 per month in The Woodlands, TX and $1,816 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in The Woodlands, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in The Woodlands, TX and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in The Woodlands, TX at $3,121. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in The Woodlands, 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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