Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrow-in-Furness and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,256 in Barrow-in-Furness, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barrow-in-Furness, United Kingdom
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Barrow-in-Furness
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,256
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,256 per month in Barrow-in-Furness vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Barrow-in-Furness $2,256
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,318 per month in Barrow-in-Furness vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Barrow-in-Furness $3,318
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,381 per month in Barrow-in-Furness vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Barrow-in-Furness $4,381
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Barrow-in-Furness costs about 87% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Barrow-in-Furness sits 66% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.29 £19.64
$10.92 MX$205
140.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.5 £55.7
$43.37 MX$815
71.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.74 £8.03
$11.78 MX$221
-8.83%
Cappuccino
$4.62 £3.45
$3.81 MX$71.6
21.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 £2.03
$1.28 MX$24.10
112.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 £1.35
$0.78 MX$14.71
130.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.35 £4.00
$3.17 MX$59.5
68.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.56 £4.90
$4.93 MX$92.7
33.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.63 £1.22
$1.41 MX$26.43
15.60%
White Bread (500g)
$1.51 £1.13
$2.22 MX$41.66
-31.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.09 £1.56
$1.42 MX$26.64
47.18%
Eggs
$3.70 £2.76
$2.52 MX$47.41
46.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.14 £6.83
$7.26 MX$137
25.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.03 £6.00
$7.70 MX$145
4.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.99 £7.46
$12.69 MX$239
-21.28%
Apples (1kg)
$3.38 £2.52
$2.78 MX$52.3
21.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.92 £1.44
$1.37 MX$25.71
40.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.39 £1.79
$2.55 MX$47.94
-6.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.53 £3.38
$2.12 MX$39.90
113.68%
Potato (1kg)
$3.06 £2.29
$1.94 MX$36.43
57.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.89 MX$35.44
-14.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.54 £1.15
$1.15 MX$21.55
33.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 £1.06
$1.18 MX$22.16
20.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.88 £17.84
$4.30 MX$80.7
455.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.94 £8.92
$9.95 MX$187
20.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.20 £3.14
$1.58 MX$29.76
165.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.71 £3.52
$2.67 MX$50.2
76.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.58 £2.67
$0.55 MX$10.40
550.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.3 £72.0
$26.62 MX$500
261.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.48 £3.35
$4.97 MX$93.4
-9.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.60 £1.94
$3.33 MX$62.6
-21.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.55 £14.60
$5.36 MX$101
264.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.97 £1.47
$1.44 MX$27.14
36.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.5K
$20.7K MX$388.4K
84.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.6K
$23.5K MX$441.0K
74.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 £151
$84.8 MX$1,594
138.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.13 £12.79
$23.41 MX$440
-26.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.65 £30.37
$28.66 MX$539
41.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.28 £30.84
$57.1 MX$1,072
-27.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$543
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.99 £5.97
$5.14 MX$96.6
55.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,339 £1,000
$207 MX$3,882
548.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K £12.2K
$3,927 MX$73.8K
315.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.3 £45.04
$43.35 MX$815
39.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.92 £27.58
$41.44 MX$779
-10.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.6 £59.5
$74.2 MX$1,394
7.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.6 £59.5
$89.3 MX$1,677
-10.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,220 £911
$980 MX$18.4K
24.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 £774
$381 MX$7,157
172.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,101 £1,569
$1,708 MX$32.1K
22.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,682 £1,257
$1,075 MX$20.2K
56.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,966 £3,710
$3,943 MX$74.1K
25.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,836 £2,866
$6,158 MX$115.7K
-37.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,017 £1,507
$735 MX$13.8K
174.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.61
11.45
-51.00%

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

Last update for Barrow-in-Furness: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barrow-in-Furness
$1K
Playa del Carmen
$381 63.2% $655
Eating Out
Barrow-in-Furness
$356
Playa del Carmen
$202 43.1% $154
Groceries & Markets
Barrow-in-Furness
$303
Playa del Carmen
$255 15.8% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barrow-in-Furness
$260
Playa del Carmen
$137 47.4% $124
Getting Around
Barrow-in-Furness
$128
Playa del Carmen
$50 60.6% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Barrow-in-Furness
$115
Playa del Carmen
$112 3.2% $3.7
Sport & Entertainment
Barrow-in-Furness
$57
Playa del Carmen
$67 17.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,220 in Barrow-in-Furness versus $980 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 in Barrow-in-Furness are about 2.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Barrow-in-Furness versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Barrow-in-Furness
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
06:33 6:33 AM
01:33 1:33 AM
5 h behind Barrow-in-Furness
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
55,489
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Barrow-in-Furness Playa del Carmen 7,770 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barrow-in-Furness
  • 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
Barrow-in-Furness vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Barrow-in-Furness and in Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,256 in Barrow-in-Furness, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 47% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Barrow-in-Furness compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,384 per month in Barrow-in-Furness and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Barrow-in-Furness and Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,220 in Barrow-in-Furness.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barrow-in-Furness and Playa del Carmen?
Kindergarten costs $1,339 per month in Barrow-in-Furness and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Barrow-in-Furness, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Barrow-in-Furness at $2,256. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barrow-in-Furness it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Barrow-in-Furness or Playa del Carmen?
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.
How do I decide between Barrow-in-Furness and Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barrow-in-Furness makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Barrow-in-Furness vs other spots: cost of living compared

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