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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,200 per month in Barrow-in-Furness vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,281 per month in Barrow-in-Furness vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,363 per month in Barrow-in-Furness vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Barrow-in-Furness costs about 73% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Barrow-in-Furness sits 64% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$27.28 £20.28
$11.87 MX$204
129.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.1 £55.8
$42.90 MX$736
75.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 £7.91
$10.65 MX$183
-
Cappuccino
$4.81 £3.58
$3.45 MX$59.2
39.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 £2.07
$1.50 MX$25.81
85.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 £1.33
$0.95 MX$16.28
88.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.33 £3.96
$3.03 MX$51.9
75.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.13 £5.30
$4.61 MX$79.1
54.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 £1.12
$1.38 MX$23.61
9.42%
White Bread (500g)
$1.74 £1.29
$1.85 MX$31.70
-5.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 £1.53
$1.61 MX$27.65
27.95%
Eggs
$3.80 £2.82
$2.59 MX$44.51
46.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.18 £6.83
$8.26 MX$142
11.14%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 £6.88
$8.37 MX$144
10.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.60 £7.88
$10.66 MX$183
-0.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.89 £2.15
$2.63 MX$45.12
9.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 £1.24
$1.49 MX$25.53
12.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.52 £1.87
$1.92 MX$32.94
31.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.65 £3.45
$2.09 MX$35.81
122.49%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 £1.36
$1.86 MX$31.88
-2.15%
Onion (1kg)
$1.56 £1.16
$2.26 MX$38.81
-30.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 £0.69
$1.06 MX$18.23
-12.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 £1.04
$1.09 MX$18.67
28.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$16.24 £12.08
$4.15 MX$71.2
291.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.93 £8.87
$10.39 MX$178
14.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.28 £3.18
$1.72 MX$29.59
148.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.87 £2.88
$2.61 MX$44.85
48.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.71 £2.76
$0.54 MX$9.30
587.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.0 £66.9
$26.94 MX$462
234.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.65 £2.71
$3.13 MX$53.7
16.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 £1.05
$2.51 MX$43.09
-43.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.08 £11.96
$3.15 MX$54.1
410.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.98 £1.47
$1.27 MX$21.88
55.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.3K £25.5K
$30.4K MX$521.3K
12.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K £18.0K
$23.6K MX$404.5K
2.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$207 £154
$83.0 MX$1,425
149.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.79 £11.74
$22.71 MX$390
-30.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.06 £30.53
$29.46 MX$506
39.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.06 £34.24
$51.0 MX$875
-9.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.33 MX$315
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.13 £6.05
$4.93 MX$84.5
64.91%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,369 £1,018
$197 MX$3,386
593.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.0K £11.1K
$5,280 MX$90.6K
183.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.0 £43.88
$36.90 MX$633
59.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.96 £28.96
$39.89 MX$685
-2.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.1 £53.6
$80.0 MX$1,373
-9.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.6 £64.4
$89.5 MX$1,536
-3.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,222 £909
$956 MX$16.4K
27.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,005 £747
$477 MX$8,189
110.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,071 £1,540
$1,646 MX$28.3K
25.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,696 £1,261
$1,225 MX$21.0K
38.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,904 £3,646
$3,918 MX$67.2K
25.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,459 MX$110.9K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barrow-in-Furness
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,035 £1,513
$667 MX$11.4K
205.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.9
11.42
-48.34%

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

Last update for Barrow-in-Furness: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,222 in Barrow-in-Furness 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.

Salaries run about 205% higher in Barrow-in-Furness, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Barrow-in-Furness versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 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
Barrow-in-Furness vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Barrow-in-Furness and Playa del Carmen compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,200 in Barrow-in-Furness, $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 73% apart. Barrow-in-Furness costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Barrow-in-Furness compared to Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,300 per month in Barrow-in-Furness and $1,906 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Barrow-in-Furness and Playa del Carmen?
Kindergarten costs $1,369 per month in Barrow-in-Furness and $197 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 21% more in Barrow-in-Furness, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
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 $1,271, than in Barrow-in-Furness at $2,200. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barrow-in-Furness it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Barrow-in-Furness and Playa del Carmen?
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 $2,200 in Barrow-in-Furness. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Barrow-in-Furness or Playa del Carmen safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Barrow-in-Furness and Playa del Carmen?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barrow-in-Furness makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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