Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Upper Marlboro, MD and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Upper Marlboro, MD
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Upper Marlboro, MD Living Index
58

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

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Upper Marlboro, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,636

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,636 per month in Upper Marlboro, MD vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Upper Marlboro, MD $2,636
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $4,086 per month in Upper Marlboro, MD vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Upper Marlboro, MD $4,086
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,535 per month in Upper Marlboro, MD vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Upper Marlboro, MD $5,535
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Upper Marlboro, MD costs about 119% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Upper Marlboro, MD sits 94% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.87 $22.87

$10.92 MX$204

109.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 $91.6

$43.37 MX$808

111.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 $10.18

$11.78 MX$220

-13.58%

Cappuccino

$6.25 $6.25

$3.81 MX$71.0

64.04%

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

$2.79 $2.79

$1.28 MX$23.90

117.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.78 MX$14.59

237.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.95 $9.95

$3.17 MX$59.0

213.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$4.93 MX$92.0

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.41 MX$26.22

-8.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.22 MX$41.33

103.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.15 $7.15

$1.42 MX$26.42

403.52%

Eggs

$5.78 $5.78

$2.52 MX$47.03

129.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.40 $16.40

$7.26 MX$135

125.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.24 $16.24

$7.70 MX$143

110.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.67 $18.67

$12.69 MX$237

47.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.78 MX$51.9

82.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.37 MX$25.50

20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.55 MX$47.55

101.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$2.12 MX$39.58

145.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.94 MX$36.13

51.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.89 MX$35.16

6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.15 MX$21.37

80.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.18 MX$21.98

137.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.34 $13.34

$4.30 MX$80.1

210.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$9.95 MX$185

48.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.58 MX$29.52

7.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.67 MX$49.79

89.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.55 MX$10.31

258.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$26.62 MX$496

142.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 $4.06

$4.97 MX$92.6

-18.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 $1.62

$3.33 MX$62.1

-51.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.88 $24.88

$5.36 MX$99.8

364.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.44 MX$26.92

-20.83%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

34.45%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

11.81%

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

$158 $158

$84.8 MX$1,581

86.78%

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

$82.7 $82.7

$23.41 MX$436

253.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 $76.7

$28.66 MX$534

167.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.18 $41.18

$57.1 MX$1,063

-27.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$17.03 $17.03

$5.14 MX$95.8

231.32%

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

$2,241 $2,241

$207 MX$3,851

984.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.3K $41.3K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

951.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.02 $47.02

$43.35 MX$808

8.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.91 $35.91

$41.44 MX$772

-13.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$74.2 MX$1,383

41.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$89.3 MX$1,664

33.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 $1,413

$980 MX$18.3K

44.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,160 $1,160

$381 MX$7,099

204.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,465 $2,465

$1,708 MX$31.8K

44.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 $2,180

$1,075 MX$20.0K

102.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 $2,741

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-30.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,336 $2,336

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-62.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,979 $7,979

$735 MX$13.7K

986.27%

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 Upper Marlboro, MD: October 25, 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

Upper Marlboro, MD

$1.2K 44%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 67.2% $779

Groceries & Markets

Upper Marlboro, MD

$481 18.2%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 47% $226

Eating Out

Upper Marlboro, MD

$380 14.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 46.7% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Upper Marlboro, MD

$318 12.1%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 56.9% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Upper Marlboro, MD

$138 5.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 19.1% $26

Getting Around

Upper Marlboro, MD

$85 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 40.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Upper Marlboro, MD

$75 2.9%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 10.5% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,413 in Upper Marlboro, MD 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 Upper Marlboro, MD are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $92 in Upper Marlboro, MD versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $481 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Upper Marlboro, MD

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

16:49 4:49 PM

15:49 3:49 PM

1 h behind Upper Marlboro, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

700

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

Upper Marlboro, MD Playa del Carmen 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Upper Marlboro, MD
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

Upper Marlboro, MD vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Upper Marlboro, MD is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,955 per month in Upper Marlboro, MD 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 $1,413 in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 54% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 59% 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 Upper Marlboro, MD at $2,636. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Upper Marlboro, MD 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, Upper Marlboro, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.