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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,502 per month in Basildon vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,650 per month in Basildon vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,799 per month in Basildon vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Basildon costs about 98% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Basildon sits 83% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.48 £16.05

$11.60 MX$200

85.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.8 £67.9

$47.11 MX$812

92.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.59 £7.17

$11.88 MX$205

-19.28%

Cappuccino

$4.65 £3.48

$3.98 MX$68.6

16.83%

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

$2.86 £2.14

$1.43 MX$24.60

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 £1.15

$0.82 MX$14.22

87.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.28 £6.19

$3.19 MX$55.0

159.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 £3.03

$6.79 MX$117

-40.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.68 MX$28.89

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 £1.32

$2.20 MX$37.88

-19.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 £1.89

$1.71 MX$29.45

47.95%

Eggs

$4.04 £3.02

$2.74 MX$47.26

47.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 £7.63

$9.58 MX$165

6.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 £3.40

$9.01 MX$155

-49.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.38 £9.25

$12.81 MX$221

-3.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 £2.29

$2.89 MX$49.81

5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 £0.98

$1.50 MX$25.81

-12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 £2.82

$2.15 MX$37.03

75.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 £2.62

$2.26 MX$38.96

54.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.98 MX$34.15

-22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.99 MX$34.30

-9.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 £0.83

$1.23 MX$21.28

-9.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.20 MX$20.63

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.31 £15.18

$4.55 MX$78.5

346.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 £8.29

$10.37 MX$179

6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.28 £2.45

$1.62 MX$27.91

102.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.28

$2.88 MX$49.67

-40.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 £1.99

$0.60 MX$10.35

345.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 £51.1

$28.80 MX$497

137.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 £6.08

$5.39 MX$92.9

51.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 £2.03

$3.73 MX$64.3

-27.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.9 £38.05

$5.77 MX$99.5

782.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.54 MX$26.48

27.92%

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

$39.0K £29.2K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

73.03%

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

$40.7K £30.4K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

56.04%

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

$338 £253

$91.4 MX$1,576

270.23%

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

$18.99 £14.19

$25.20 MX$435

-24.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.52 £27.29

$31.24 MX$539

16.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.62 £34.09

$67.2 MX$1,159

-32.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.28 £20.39

$29.11 MX$502

-6.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 £10.67

$4.86 MX$83.8

193.83%

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

$2,613 £1,952

$224 MX$3,856

1068.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K £22.0K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

596.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 £57.8

$47.10 MX$812

64.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.51 £36.25

$44.29 MX$764

9.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.2 £40.51

$80.1 MX$1,381

-32.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.4 £39.91

$92.7 MX$1,598

-42.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,634 £1,221

$1,063 MX$18.3K

53.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 £913

$390 MX$6,728

213.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 £1,769

$2,149 MX$37.1K

10.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 £1,507

$1,272 MX$21.9K

58.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,368 £4,011

$4,001 MX$69.0K

34.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,366 £2,515

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-48.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,922 £2,184

$758 MX$13.1K

285.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.04

11.45

-55.98%

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

Last update for Basildon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,634 in Basildon versus $1,063 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 285% higher in Basildon, 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 $91.0 in Basildon versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $276 – 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

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

Basildon costs about 98% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,753 per month in Basildon and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,502 in Basildon and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 138% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Basildon at $2,502. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Basildon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,266 versus $2,502 in Basildon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Basildon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.