Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waukesha, WI and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,030 in Waukesha, WI, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Waukesha, WI
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Waukesha, WI Living Index
59

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

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Waukesha, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,030

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,030 per month in Waukesha, WI vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waukesha, WI $2,030
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,967 per month in Waukesha, WI vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waukesha, WI $2,967
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,905 per month in Waukesha, WI vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waukesha, WI $3,905
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Waukesha, WI costs about 69% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Waukesha, WI sits 50% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.70 $16.70

$10.86 MX$201

53.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 $76.5

$44.21 MX$817

73.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 $10.99

$11.76 MX$217

-6.55%

Cappuccino

$4.88 $4.88

$3.68 MX$68.0

32.61%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.34 MX$24.79

107.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.82 MX$15.24

139.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$3.06 MX$56.6

98.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$4.94 MX$91.2

37.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.47 MX$27.17

-45.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.22 MX$40.95

52.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.48 MX$27.32

201.35%

Eggs

$3.59 $3.59

$2.49 MX$45.99

44.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.04 $9.04

$7.52 MX$139

20.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$7.96 MX$147

41.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.57 $16.57

$12.57 MX$232

31.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.78 MX$51.3

90.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.43 MX$26.37

19.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.62 MX$48.37

36.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.14 MX$39.49

140.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.02 MX$37.38

-12.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.99 MX$36.74

31.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.14 MX$21.01

41.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.20 MX$22.18

55.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.39 $8.39

$4.26 MX$78.7

96.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 $10.90

$10.02 MX$185

8.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.54 MX$28.41

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.66 MX$49.17

27.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.53 MX$9.73

286.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.0 $50.0

$27.51 MX$508

81.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 $2.88

$4.90 MX$90.6

-41.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.43 MX$63.5

-52.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.09 $21.09

$5.38 MX$99.4

292.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.45 MX$26.76

-29.66%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

17.90%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

9.65%

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

$200 $200

$85.4 MX$1,577

134.77%

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

$51.2 $51.2

$23.46 MX$434

118.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 $60.5

$28.43 MX$525

112.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 $50.3

$62.2 MX$1,149

-19.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$5.10 MX$94.3

175.69%

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

$1,472 $1,472

$201 MX$3,715

632.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

513.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$44.39 MX$820

20.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 $40.55

$41.35 MX$764

-1.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 $89.2

$72.7 MX$1,344

22.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.3 $76.3

$89.6 MX$1,656

-14.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 $1,006

$979 MX$18.1K

2.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$805 $805

$373 MX$6,887

115.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-3.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 $1,190

$1,095 MX$20.2K

8.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,430 $2,430

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-38.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,375 $2,375

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-61.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,340 $4,340

$738 MX$13.6K

488.41%

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 Waukesha, WI: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waukesha, WI

$805 39.7%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 53.7% $432

Groceries & Markets

Waukesha, WI

$361 17.8%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 28.4% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waukesha, WI

$312 15.4%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 56% $175

Eating Out

Waukesha, WI

$288 14.2%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 30.5% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Waukesha, WI

$117 5.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 4.4% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Waukesha, WI

$78 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 7.7% $6

Getting Around

Waukesha, WI

$69 3.4%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 25.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,006 in Waukesha, WI versus $979 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 488% higher in Waukesha, WI, 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 $76.0 in Waukesha, WI versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $361 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waukesha, WI

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

Same time as Waukesha, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,158

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Waukesha, WI Playa del Carmen 2,490 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Waukesha, WI
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

Waukesha, WI vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Waukesha, WI is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,045 per month in Waukesha, WI 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,030 in Waukesha, WI and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 69%.

Public transport costs about 82% 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 Waukesha, WI at $2,030. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waukesha, WI 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, Waukesha, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.