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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,519 in Andover versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,522 in Andover versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,526 in Andover versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Andover is roughly 95% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Andover is 83% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.94 £9.57

$11.71 MX$198

10.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.27 £30.53

$46.59 MX$787

-11.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 £8.11

$11.65 MX$197

-5.84%

Cappuccino

$4.92 £3.64

$4.09 MX$69.1

20.29%

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

$1.98 £1.46

$1.37 MX$23.21

44.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.12

$0.83 MX$14.08

83.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.49 £3.32

$3.35 MX$56.6

34.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 £4.25

$6.91 MX$117

-16.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 £1.33

$1.73 MX$29.16

4.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.21

$2.26 MX$38.17

-27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.77 MX$29.88

11.30%

Eggs

$4.18 £3.09

$2.73 MX$46.14

53.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.16 £8.99

$9.18 MX$155

32.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 £6.45

$8.92 MX$151

-2.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.21 £11.26

$12.60 MX$213

20.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.54 £2.62

$3.02 MX$51.0

17.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.57 MX$26.52

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 £1.99

$2.13 MX$35.89

25.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 £2.25

$2.26 MX$38.23

34.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$2.00 MX$33.84

-11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 £0.98

$2.06 MX$34.86

-35.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.94

$1.18 MX$19.92

7.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.28

$1.20 MX$20.33

45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.58 £16.71

$4.63 MX$78.3

387.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 £8.18

$10.69 MX$180

3.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 £2.05

$1.62 MX$27.35

70.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.47

$2.88 MX$48.65

-30.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.47 £2.57

$0.57 MX$9.68

508.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.08 £36.31

$29.83 MX$504

64.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 £3.74

$5.45 MX$92.0

-7.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 £2.43

$3.70 MX$62.6

-11.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 £31.25

$5.98 MX$101

606.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.55 MX$26.23

26.45%

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

$36.7K £27.2K

$22.3K MX$377.0K

64.50%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$25.9K MX$438.2K

58.83%

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

$345 £255

$89.1 MX$1,505

287.08%

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

$17.90 £13.24

$25.04 MX$423

-28.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.96 £33.26

$31.50 MX$532

42.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.07 £33.34

$67.8 MX$1,145

-33.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.60 £7.10

$28.92 MX$488

-66.80%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 £11.19

$5.05 MX$85.3

199.60%

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

$2,324 £1,720

$225 MX$3,798

933.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K £11.8K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

277.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 £65.0

$47.44 MX$801

85.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.88 £35.42

$44.98 MX$759

6.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 £71.1

$82.0 MX$1,384

17.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.3 £49.06

$92.1 MX$1,555

-28.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 £1,087

$1,069 MX$18.1K

37.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 £979

$405 MX$6,844

226.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,901 £1,406

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-1.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 £1,510

$1,301 MX$22.0K

56.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,028 £2,240

$749 MX$12.6K

304.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.25

11.45

-62.88%

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

Last update for Andover: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,469 in Andover and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Andover pays 304% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $41.00 in Andover vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $313 vs $277, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Andover and Playa del Carmen differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($2,519 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 304% higher in Andover, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,469 in Andover versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,519 per month in Andover versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 65% less than in Andover. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,519 in Andover, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Andover. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Andover and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Andover. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.