Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waco, TX and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,447 in Waco, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Waco, TX
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Waco, TX Living Index
60

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

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Waco, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,447

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,447 per month in Waco, TX vs $1,215 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waco, TX $2,447
Playa del Carmen $1,215

A couple spends around $3,090 per month in Waco, TX vs $2,144 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waco, TX $3,090
Playa del Carmen $2,144

A family of three spends $3,734 per month in Waco, TX vs $3,072 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waco, TX $3,734
Playa del Carmen $3,072

Waco, TX costs about 101% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Waco, TX sits 83% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.21 $15.21

$10.97 MX$202

38.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 $59.0

$44.85 MX$826

31.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.92 MX$220

2.18%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$3.80 MX$70.1

41.84%

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

$1.77 $1.77

$1.31 MX$24.16

35.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.86 MX$15.77

73.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.21 MX$59.2

53.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 $5.52

$5.01 MX$92.3

10.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.46 MX$26.86

-47.95%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.33 MX$42.86

35.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.44 MX$26.57

40.97%

Eggs

$2.78 $2.78

$2.46 MX$45.34

13.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 $12.06

$7.70 MX$142

56.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$7.89 MX$145

22.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 $11.67

$12.80 MX$236

-8.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.92 MX$53.7

31.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.42 MX$26.19

-21.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.57 MX$47.25

50.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.14 MX$39.37

73.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.95 MX$35.86

16.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.94 MX$35.66

47.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.15 MX$21.20

53.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.22 MX$22.49

-18.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.54 $8.54

$4.38 MX$80.6

94.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 $13.49

$9.85 MX$182

36.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.54 MX$28.32

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 $3.81

$2.72 MX$50.0

40.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.52 MX$9.67

196.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.12 $40.12

$27.42 MX$505

46.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 $9.93

$4.91 MX$90.5

102.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$3.52 MX$64.9

-46.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.4 $59.4

$5.69 MX$105

944.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.54 MX$28.37

-42.21%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.2K MX$391.2K

70.55%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$24.5K MX$451.1K

2.15%

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

$175 $175

$83.6 MX$1,540

109.84%

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

$40.53 $40.53

$24.03 MX$443

68.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 $54.7

$29.33 MX$540

86.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.96 $27.96

$64.9 MX$1,195

-56.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 $9.07

$5.09 MX$93.7

78.19%

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

$747 $747

$208 MX$3,825

259.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K $18.2K

$4,045 MX$74.5K

349.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.91 $47.91

$44.55 MX$821

7.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.27 $38.27

$42.06 MX$775

-9.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$75.5 MX$1,391

12.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 $95.4

$91.4 MX$1,683

4.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$986 MX$18.2K

26.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$385 MX$7,095

244.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 $1,541

$1,713 MX$31.6K

-10.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 $1,374

$1,108 MX$20.4K

23.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,970 $1,970

$4,016 MX$74.0K

-50.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,955 $1,955

$6,247 MX$115.1K

-68.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,156 $3,156

$758 MX$14.0K

316.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

11.45

-43.32%

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

Last update for Waco, TX: October 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waco, TX

$1.3K 55%

Playa del Carmen

$385 31.4% 71% $943

Groceries & Markets

Waco, TX

$312 12.9%

Playa del Carmen

$260 21.2% 16.7% $52

Eating Out

Waco, TX

$272 11.3%

Playa del Carmen

$204 16.6% 24.9% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waco, TX

$271 11.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.2% 49.4% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Waco, TX

$120 5%

Playa del Carmen

$114 9.3% 5% $6

Getting Around

Waco, TX

$66 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.2% 20.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Waco, TX

$46 1.9%

Playa del Carmen

$75 6.1% 62.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,244 in Waco, TX versus $986 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 316% higher in Waco, 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 $59.0 in Waco, TX versus $45.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $260 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waco, TX

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

08:54 8:54 AM

Same time as Waco, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,486

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.43 USD

100 MXN = 4.84 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 18.42 MXN (100 MXN = 5.43 USD). 1 EUR = 20.64 MXN (100 MXN = 4.84 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Waco, TX Playa del Carmen 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Waco, 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

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

Yes – Waco, TX is pricier by about 101%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,670 per month in Waco, TX and $1,823 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,447 in Waco, TX and $1,215 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 101%.

Public transport costs about 46% 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 $1,215, than in Waco, TX at $2,447. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waco, 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Waco, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.