Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,749 in Waunakee, WI, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Waunakee, WI
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Waunakee, WI Living Index
58

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

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Waunakee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,749

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,749 per month in Waunakee, WI vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waunakee, WI $2,749
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,951 per month in Waunakee, WI vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waunakee, WI $3,951
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $5,152 per month in Waunakee, WI vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Waunakee, WI $5,152
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Waunakee, WI costs about 128% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Waunakee, WI sits 102% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.13 $20.13

$10.92 MX$204

84.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 $81.7

$43.37 MX$808

88.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.78 MX$220

11.46%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$3.81 MX$71.0

47.24%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$1.28 MX$23.90

139.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.78 MX$14.59

192.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.17 MX$59.0

116.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$4.93 MX$92.0

66.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.41 MX$26.22

-30.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.22 MX$41.33

73.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.42 MX$26.42

195.77%

Eggs

$3.67 $3.67

$2.52 MX$47.03

45.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 $13.87

$7.26 MX$135

91.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 $13.04

$7.70 MX$143

69.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$12.69 MX$237

41.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$2.78 MX$51.9

73.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.37 MX$25.50

14.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.55 MX$47.55

59.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$2.12 MX$39.58

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.94 MX$36.13

39.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.89 MX$35.16

46.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.15 MX$21.37

80.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.18 MX$21.98

103.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.79 $10.79

$4.30 MX$80.1

150.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$9.95 MX$185

49.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.58 MX$29.52

68.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.67 MX$49.79

26.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.55 MX$10.31

292.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.7 $52.7

$26.62 MX$496

98.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.97 MX$92.6

-35.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$3.33 MX$62.1

-58.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.34 $24.34

$5.36 MX$99.8

354.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.44 MX$26.92

-25.00%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$20.7K MX$385.2K

45.75%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$23.5K MX$437.4K

10.73%

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

$193 $193

$84.8 MX$1,581

127.48%

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

$70.6 $70.6

$23.41 MX$436

201.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$28.66 MX$534

147.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.73 $39.73

$57.1 MX$1,063

-30.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$5.14 MX$95.8

192.22%

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

$1,618 $1,618

$207 MX$3,851

683.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

486.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 $63.2

$43.35 MX$808

45.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$41.44 MX$772

20.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 $99.6

$74.2 MX$1,383

34.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$89.3 MX$1,664

34.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 $1,343

$980 MX$18.3K

37.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,369 $1,369

$381 MX$7,099

259.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 $2,435

$1,708 MX$31.8K

42.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 $2,090

$1,075 MX$20.0K

94.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,024 $3,024

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-23.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,039 $2,039

$6,158 MX$114.8K

-66.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

11.45

-41.57%

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

Last update for Waunakee, WI: 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

Waunakee, WI

$1.4K 49.8%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 72.2% $988

Groceries & Markets

Waunakee, WI

$415 15.1%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 38.6% $160

Eating Out

Waunakee, WI

$340 12.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 40.5% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waunakee, WI

$334 12.2%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 59.1% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Waunakee, WI

$150 5.5%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 25.5% $38

Getting Around

Waunakee, WI

$71 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 29.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Waunakee, WI

$70 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 3.5% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,343 in Waunakee, WI 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Waunakee, WI versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $415 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waunakee, WI

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

Same time as Waunakee, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,879

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

Waunakee, WI Playa del Carmen 2,520 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Waunakee, 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

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

Yes – Waunakee, WI is pricier by about 128%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,124 per month in Waunakee, 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,343 in Waunakee, WI.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,749 in Waunakee, WI and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 56% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 50% 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 Waunakee, WI at $2,749. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Waunakee, 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.

For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 56% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.