Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilmington, OH and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,539 in Wilmington, OH, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Wilmington, OH
🇺🇸 United States
$2,539
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,539 per month in Wilmington, OH vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Wilmington, OH $2,539
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,669 per month in Wilmington, OH vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Wilmington, OH $3,669
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $4,799 per month in Wilmington, OH vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Wilmington, OH $4,799
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Wilmington, OH costs about 111% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Wilmington, OH sits 87% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Wilmington, OH
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.03 $13.03
$10.86 MX$201
19.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.8 $56.8
$44.21 MX$817
28.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.82 $8.82
$11.76 MX$217
-25.00%
Cappuccino
$5.15 $5.15
$3.68 MX$68.0
39.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$1.34 MX$24.79
88.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$0.82 MX$15.24
156.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.87 $4.87
$3.06 MX$56.6
59.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.83 $5.83
$4.94 MX$91.2
18.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Wilmington, OH
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.74 $0.74
$1.47 MX$27.17
-49.66%
White Bread (500g)
$2.88 $2.88
$2.22 MX$40.95
29.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.09 $4.09
$1.48 MX$27.32
176.35%
Eggs
$3.54 $3.54
$2.49 MX$45.99
42.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.47 $10.47
$7.52 MX$139
39.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.13 $10.13
$7.96 MX$147
27.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.46 $14.46
$12.57 MX$232
15.04%
Apples (1kg)
$5.31 $5.31
$2.78 MX$51.3
91.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.47 $1.47
$1.43 MX$26.37
2.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.51 $5.51
$2.62 MX$48.37
110.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.45 $4.45
$2.14 MX$39.49
107.94%
Potato (1kg)
$4.32 $4.32
$2.02 MX$37.38
113.86%
Onion (1kg)
$3.19 $3.19
$1.99 MX$36.74
60.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.10 $2.10
$1.14 MX$21.01
84.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.13 $3.13
$1.20 MX$22.18
160.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.68 $8.68
$4.26 MX$78.7
103.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.23 $13.23
$10.02 MX$185
32.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.70 $2.70
$1.54 MX$28.41
75.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.16 $4.16
$2.66 MX$49.17
56.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Wilmington, OH
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.93 $1.93
$0.53 MX$9.73
264.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.51 MX$508
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.14 $5.14
$4.90 MX$90.6
4.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.61 $1.61
$3.43 MX$63.5
-53.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.36 $26.36
$5.38 MX$99.4
389.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.45 MX$26.76
-31.72%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.9K $27.9K
$21.2K MX$391.0K
32.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$23.0K MX$425.3K
14.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wilmington, OH
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 $192
$85.4 MX$1,577
124.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$108 $108
$23.46 MX$434
358.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.9 $75.9
$28.43 MX$525
166.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Wilmington, OH
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.58 $40.58
$62.2 MX$1,149
-34.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.68 MX$530
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.03 $15.03
$5.10 MX$94.3
194.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Wilmington, OH
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,273 $2,273
$201 MX$3,715
1030.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.0K $25.0K
$3,947 MX$72.9K
534.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Wilmington, OH
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$44.39 MX$820
16.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.17 $31.17
$41.35 MX$764
-24.62%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 $119
$72.7 MX$1,344
64.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$155 $155
$89.6 MX$1,656
73.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Wilmington, OH
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,582 $1,582
$979 MX$18.1K
61.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,279 $1,279
$373 MX$6,887
243.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,544 $2,544
$1,681 MX$31.1K
51.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,122 $2,122
$1,095 MX$20.2K
93.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,357 $2,357
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-40.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,356 $2,356
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-61.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Wilmington, OH
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,455 $2,455
$738 MX$13.6K
232.89%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
11.45
-40.44%

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

Last update for Wilmington, OH: October 17, 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
Wilmington, OH
$1.3K
Playa del Carmen
$373 70.9% $906
Groceries & Markets
Wilmington, OH
$385
Playa del Carmen
$258 33% $127
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Wilmington, OH
$375
Playa del Carmen
$137 63.4% $238
Eating Out
Wilmington, OH
$247
Playa del Carmen
$200 19% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Wilmington, OH
$161
Playa del Carmen
$112 30.6% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Wilmington, OH
$71
Playa del Carmen
$72 2.5% $1.8
Getting Around
Wilmington, OH
$21 *
Playa del Carmen
$52 147% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,582 in Wilmington, OH 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 233% higher in Wilmington, OH, 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 $57.0 in Wilmington, OH versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $385 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Wilmington, OH
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
08:26 8:26 AM
07:26 7:26 AM
1 h behind Wilmington, OH
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
72,826
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Wilmington, OH Playa del Carmen 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Wilmington, OH
  • 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
Wilmington, OH vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Wilmington, OH?
Yes – Wilmington, OH is pricier by about 111%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,808 per month in Wilmington, OH and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Wilmington, OH and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,539 in Wilmington, OH and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 111%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,273 per month in Wilmington, OH and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Wilmington, OH or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Wilmington, OH at $2,539. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wilmington, OH it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Wilmington, OH or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Wilmington, OH or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Wilmington, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Wilmington, OH vs other spots: cost of living compared

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