Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toms River, NJ and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,884 in Toms River, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Toms River, NJ
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Toms River, NJ Living Index
58

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

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Toms River, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,884

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,884 per month in Toms River, NJ vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Toms River, NJ $2,884
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,311 per month in Toms River, NJ vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Toms River, NJ $4,311
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,738 per month in Toms River, NJ vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Toms River, NJ $5,738
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Toms River, NJ costs about 139% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Toms River, NJ sits 112% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 $19.87

$10.92 MX$204

81.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 $74.2

$43.37 MX$808

71.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$11.78 MX$220

2.29%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$3.81 MX$71.0

45.14%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$1.28 MX$23.90

100.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.78 MX$14.59

138.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.17 MX$59.0

58.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$4.93 MX$92.0

39.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.41 MX$26.22

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.22 MX$41.33

107.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.42 MX$26.42

70.42%

Eggs

$4.61 $4.61

$2.52 MX$47.03

82.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$7.26 MX$135

124.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$7.70 MX$143

120.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.81 $16.81

$12.69 MX$237

32.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$2.78 MX$51.9

115.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.37 MX$25.50

-5.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.55 MX$47.55

101.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$2.12 MX$39.58

179.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.94 MX$36.13

-18.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.89 MX$35.16

44.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.15 MX$21.37

120.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.18 MX$21.98

64.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$4.30 MX$80.1

128.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 $10.09

$9.95 MX$185

1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.58 MX$29.52

77.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.67 MX$49.79

28.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$4.97 MX$92.6

-39.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.33 MX$62.1

-36.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.41 $41.41

$5.36 MX$99.8

672.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.44 MX$26.92

-36.11%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

48.86%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

11.69%

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

$243 $243

$84.8 MX$1,581

186.04%

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

$37.24 $37.24

$23.41 MX$436

59.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 $62.0

$28.66 MX$534

116.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.15 $30.15

$57.1 MX$1,063

-47.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 $17.15

$5.14 MX$95.8

233.66%

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

$3,103 $3,103

$207 MX$3,851

1402.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K $34.4K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

775.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$43.35 MX$808

60.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 $75.8

$41.44 MX$772

82.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$74.2 MX$1,383

62.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$89.3 MX$1,664

36.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 $1,617

$980 MX$18.3K

65.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 $1,527

$381 MX$7,099

300.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,900 $2,900

$1,708 MX$31.8K

69.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,766 $2,766

$1,075 MX$20.0K

157.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,268 $5,268

$735 MX$13.7K

617.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.45

-41.75%

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

Last update for Toms River, NJ: October 24, 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

Toms River, NJ

$1.5K 53%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 75.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Toms River, NJ

$445 15.4%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 42.7% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toms River, NJ

$342 11.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 60% $205

Eating Out

Toms River, NJ

$318 11%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 36.4% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Toms River, NJ

$174 6%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 35.9% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Toms River, NJ

$64 2.2%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 4.5% $2.9

Getting Around

Toms River, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 270% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,617 in Toms River, NJ 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 Toms River, NJ are about 7.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Toms River, NJ versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $445 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Toms River, NJ

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

17:17 5:17 PM

1 h behind Toms River, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,438

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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 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

Toms River, NJ Playa del Carmen 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Toms River, NJ
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

Toms River, NJ vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toms River, NJ is pricier by about 139%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,326 per month in Toms River, NJ and $1,806 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,617 in Toms River, NJ.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,884 in Toms River, NJ and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 58% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $3,103 per month in Toms River, NJ and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Toms River, NJ at $2,884. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toms River, NJ 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, Toms River, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.