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 $2,443 per month in Basildon vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,550 per month in Basildon vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,656 per month in Basildon vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Basildon costs about 90% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Basildon sits 82% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 £15.12

$11.94 MX$209

70.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.6 £71.6

$42.75 MX$748

126.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 £7.24

$10.59 MX$185

-7.74%

Cappuccino

$4.04 £3.00

$3.62 MX$63.4

11.60%

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

$2.12 £1.57

$1.47 MX$25.69

44.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.18

$0.94 MX$16.51

69.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 £5.92

$3.09 MX$54.1

158.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.03

$4.46 MX$78.0

-38.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.43 MX$24.94

13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 £1.57

$1.88 MX$32.97

12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 £1.51

$1.63 MX$28.50

25.15%

Eggs

$4.18 £3.10

$2.64 MX$46.26

58.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 £8.60

$8.21 MX$144

41.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.68 £3.47

$8.29 MX$145

-43.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.10 £8.97

$11.10 MX$194

9.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 £2.36

$2.65 MX$46.40

20.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$1.50 MX$26.26

-10.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 £2.48

$1.99 MX$34.79

68.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.35 £2.48

$2.08 MX$36.33

61.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.79 MX$31.29

-12.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 £1.52

$2.18 MX$38.09

-5.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 £0.79

$1.08 MX$18.84

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.04 MX$18.15

32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.95 £14.78

$3.97 MX$69.5

402.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 £8.49

$10.20 MX$179

12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.00

$1.73 MX$30.22

56.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.28

$2.50 MX$43.71

-30.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.47

$0.52 MX$9.07

540.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.4 £52.1

$26.97 MX$472

160.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 £3.31

$3.14 MX$55.0

42.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 £0.90

$2.40 MX$42.04

-49.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.02 £30.39

$3.09 MX$54.0

1227.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.27 MX$22.28

49.61%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

23.47%

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

$41.7K £30.9K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

78.97%

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

$289 £214

$82.0 MX$1,435

252.31%

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

$18.36 £13.61

$22.45 MX$393

-18.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.15 £26.79

$29.66 MX$519

21.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.3 £46.93

$51.9 MX$908

22.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.85 £25.08

$18.67 MX$327

81.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 £9.96

$4.97 MX$87.0

170.42%

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

$1,788 £1,325

$198 MX$3,462

803.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.9K £14.0K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

259.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.04 £25.22

$36.34 MX$636

-6.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.68 £30.89

$40.05 MX$701

4.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.70 £30.16

$79.9 MX$1,398

-49.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.01 £29.65

$88.9 MX$1,555

-54.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,500 £1,111

$963 MX$16.9K

55.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 £913

$465 MX$8,133

165.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,399 £1,778

$1,596 MX$27.9K

50.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,085 £1,545

$1,209 MX$21.2K

72.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,470 £4,053

$3,942 MX$69.0K

38.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,376 £2,501

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-47.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,204 £2,375

$720 MX$12.6K

344.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.42

-50.70%

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

Last update for Basildon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,500 in Basildon versus $963 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 345% 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 $97.0 in Basildon versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $251 – 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 90% 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 $3,665 per month in Basildon and $1,930 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 $2,443 in Basildon and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 161% 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 $1,287, than in Basildon at $2,443. 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 $1,287 versus $2,443 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.