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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,470 in Ashford versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,407 in Ashford versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,344 in Ashford versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ashford is roughly 91% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ashford is 80% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.21 £15.68

$11.71 MX$198

81.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 £59.1

$46.59 MX$788

71.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £7.92

$11.65 MX$197

-8.07%

Cappuccino

$5.73 £4.24

$4.09 MX$69.2

40.10%

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

$2.70 £2.00

$1.37 MX$23.23

97.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.35

$0.83 MX$14.09

120.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 £2.96

$3.35 MX$56.7

19.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 £5.41

$6.91 MX$117

5.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 £1.10

$1.73 MX$29.20

-13.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 £0.95

$2.26 MX$38.21

-42.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.77 MX$29.91

-2.82%

Eggs

$3.35 £2.48

$2.73 MX$46.19

22.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.29 £3.91

$9.18 MX$155

-42.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.94 £5.13

$8.92 MX$151

-22.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 £11.23

$12.60 MX$213

20.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 £2.49

$3.02 MX$51.1

11.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.07

$1.57 MX$26.55

-7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 £2.14

$2.13 MX$35.93

36.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.36 £2.48

$2.26 MX$38.28

48.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.26

$2.00 MX$33.88

-14.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.06

$2.06 MX$34.90

-30.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.18 MX$19.94

22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.20 MX$20.35

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.68 £13.81

$4.63 MX$78.4

303.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.66 £7.14

$10.69 MX$181

-9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 £2.04

$1.62 MX$27.38

70.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 £2.75

$2.88 MX$48.70

29.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 £3.09

$0.57 MX$9.69

633.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$148 £110

$29.83 MX$504

397.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 £4.53

$5.45 MX$92.1

12.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.23

$3.70 MX$62.6

-54.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.80 £16.11

$5.98 MX$101

264.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.55 MX$26.26

25.81%

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

$34.7K £25.6K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

55.29%

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

$40.6K £30.0K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

56.65%

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

$256 £189

$89.1 MX$1,507

186.69%

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

$18.44 £13.63

$25.04 MX$423

-26.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.63 £28.56

$31.50 MX$532

22.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.8 £46.44

$67.8 MX$1,146

-7.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.03 £14.07

$28.92 MX$489

-34.20%

Cinema Ticket

$21.03 £15.55

$5.05 MX$85.4

316.44%

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

$1,091 £807

$225 MX$3,803

385.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K £15.1K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

384.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 £52.2

$47.44 MX$802

48.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.44 £21.02

$44.98 MX$760

-36.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 £58.7

$82.0 MX$1,386

-3.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 £73.8

$92.1 MX$1,557

8.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 £852

$1,069 MX$18.1K

7.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 £858

$405 MX$6,852

186.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 £1,285

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-10.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 £1,105

$1,301 MX$22.0K

14.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,441 £4,761

$3,995 MX$67.5K

61.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,889 £3,614

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-26.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,537 £1,875

$749 MX$12.7K

238.78%

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 Ashford: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,153 in Ashford and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashford pays 239% 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: $80.0 in Ashford vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $277, with Ashford 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 239% higher in Ashford, 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: $1,153 in Ashford versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $80.0 in Ashford. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,470 per month in Ashford versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,470 in Ashford, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ashford. 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 Ashford, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ashford 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 91% less than in Ashford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.