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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,415 in Antrim versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Antrim versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,676 in Antrim versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Antrim is roughly 85% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Antrim is 75% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 £15.03

$11.96 MX$203

69.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 £70.7

$47.38 MX$804

101.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 £8.02

$11.75 MX$199

-7.74%

Cappuccino

$5.03 £3.72

$4.12 MX$70.0

22.09%

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

$2.54 £1.88

$1.40 MX$23.74

81.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 £1.52

$0.91 MX$15.48

125.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 £5.78

$3.21 MX$54.4

143.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 £5.86

$7.07 MX$120

12.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.68 MX$28.44

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 £1.79

$2.15 MX$36.48

12.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 £1.69

$1.77 MX$30.10

28.81%

Eggs

$5.11 £3.77

$2.82 MX$47.76

81.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 £8.17

$9.20 MX$156

20.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 £8.12

$9.23 MX$157

19.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 £11.74

$12.64 MX$214

25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 £2.31

$2.95 MX$50.1

6.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.58 MX$26.79

27.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 £2.49

$2.22 MX$37.70

51.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 £3.02

$2.36 MX$40.09

73.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 £1.75

$1.99 MX$33.81

19.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.98 MX$33.58

-22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.24 MX$21.04

11.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.38

$1.21 MX$20.55

54.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.08 £17.80

$4.60 MX$78.1

423.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 £9.00

$10.52 MX$178

15.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.20

$1.69 MX$28.70

76.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 £2.46

$2.77 MX$47.06

19.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$7.52 £5.56

$0.60 MX$10.22

1153.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.7 £70.7

$29.70 MX$504

222.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.80 £3.54

$5.24 MX$88.8

-8.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 £1.39

$3.65 MX$61.9

-48.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.77 £21.26

$5.78 MX$98.1

397.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 £1.54

$1.54 MX$26.09

35.71%

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

$39.2K £28.9K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

71.73%

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

$41.8K £30.9K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

61.94%

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

$263 £195

$90.7 MX$1,538

190.48%

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

$17.17 £12.69

$25.19 MX$427

-31.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.75 £35.29

$31.75 MX$539

50.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.57 £24.81

$68.8 MX$1,167

-51.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.45 £6.98

$29.37 MX$498

-67.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.62 £10.81

$4.86 MX$82.5

200.82%

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

$1,464 £1,082

$226 MX$3,828

548.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K £13.3K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

327.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.2 £61.5

$47.38 MX$804

75.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.74 £34.54

$43.45 MX$737

7.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.4

$80.2 MX$1,361

33.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 £77.8

$91.4 MX$1,550

15.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 £929

$1,086 MX$18.4K

15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,052 £778

$409 MX$6,933

157.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 £1,535

$1,972 MX$33.5K

5.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 £1,258

$1,281 MX$21.7K

32.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,590 £4,132

$4,046 MX$68.6K

38.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,971 £2,935

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-40.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,032 £2,241

$773 MX$13.1K

292.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.91

11.45

-57.12%

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

Last update for Antrim: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,257 in Antrim and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antrim pays 292% 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: $96.0 in Antrim vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $278 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 292% higher in Antrim, 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: $1,257 in Antrim versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,415 per month in Antrim versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 85% 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 222% less than in Antrim. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,415 in Antrim, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Antrim. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Antrim, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Antrim 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 85% less than in Antrim. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.