Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,493 per month in Alton vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,816 per month in Alton vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,140 per month in Alton vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Alton costs about 96% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Alton sits 85% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.01 £20.08

$11.87 MX$204

127.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 £82.3

$42.90 MX$736

157.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 £8.13

$10.65 MX$183

2.72%

Cappuccino

$5.06 £3.76

$3.45 MX$59.2

46.67%

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

$2.76 £2.05

$1.50 MX$25.81

84.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.38

$0.95 MX$16.28

95.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.01 £6.70

$3.03 MX$51.9

197.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 £6.08

$4.61 MX$79.1

77.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.38 MX$23.61

24.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 £1.66

$1.85 MX$31.70

21.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 £1.86

$1.61 MX$27.65

55.28%

Eggs

$3.57 £2.66

$2.59 MX$44.51

37.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 £8.46

$8.26 MX$142

37.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 £6.41

$8.37 MX$144

2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 £10.84

$10.66 MX$183

36.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 £2.56

$2.63 MX$45.12

31.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.49 MX$25.53

30.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 £2.33

$1.92 MX$32.94

63.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 £2.66

$2.09 MX$35.81

71.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.86 MX$31.88

-8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$2.26 MX$38.81

-20.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.06 MX$18.23

29.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 £1.47

$1.09 MX$18.67

81.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.68 £16.86

$4.15 MX$71.2

446.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 £7.96

$10.39 MX$178

2.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 £1.79

$1.72 MX$29.59

40.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 £2.07

$2.61 MX$44.85

6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 £2.44

$0.54 MX$9.30

507.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.8 £64.6

$26.94 MX$462

222.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 £4.13

$3.13 MX$53.7

77.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 £1.41

$2.51 MX$43.09

-24.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.25 £29.93

$3.15 MX$54.1

1177.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.27 MX$21.88

52.76%

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

$37.9K £28.2K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

24.89%

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

$39.8K £29.6K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

68.71%

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

$320 £238

$83.0 MX$1,425

285.71%

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

$20.15 £14.98

$22.71 MX$390

-11.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.64 £32.45

$29.46 MX$506

48.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.02 £34.22

$51.0 MX$875

-9.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$20.06 £14.92

$4.93 MX$84.5

306.90%

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

$2,523 £1,876

$197 MX$3,386

1178.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K £21.2K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

438.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 £87.9

$36.90 MX$633

220.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.32 £35.92

$39.89 MX$685

21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 £97.7

$80.0 MX$1,373

64.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 £117

$89.5 MX$1,536

75.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 £922

$956 MX$16.4K

29.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 £750

$477 MX$8,189

111.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,073 £1,542

$1,646 MX$28.3K

25.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 £1,252

$1,225 MX$21.0K

37.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,658 £4,206

$3,918 MX$67.2K

44.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

11.42

-55.78%

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

Last update for Alton: June 9, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Alton versus $956 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 $111 in Alton versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $321 vs $250 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Alton vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,493 in Alton, $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 96% apart. Alton costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,739 per month in Alton and $1,906 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.

Public transport costs about 222% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,523 per month in Alton and $197 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Alton at $2,493. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,271 in Playa del Carmen to $2,493 in Alton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Alton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.