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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Basingstoke vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,837 per month in Basingstoke vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,156 per month in Basingstoke vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Basingstoke costs about 96% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Basingstoke sits 88% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.46 £17.36

$11.94 MX$208

96.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.5 £65.5

$42.75 MX$744

107.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 £7.14

$10.59 MX$184

-8.88%

Cappuccino

$4.87 £3.60

$3.62 MX$63.0

34.53%

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

$2.17 £1.60

$1.47 MX$25.54

47.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 £1.29

$0.94 MX$16.41

86.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 £4.57

$3.09 MX$53.8

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 £4.63

$4.46 MX$77.6

40.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 £1.09

$1.43 MX$24.80

3.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.88 MX$32.79

-19.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 £1.98

$1.63 MX$28.34

63.80%

Eggs

$3.32 £2.46

$2.64 MX$45.99

25.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 £7.29

$8.21 MX$143

19.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.69 £5.69

$8.29 MX$144

-7.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 £9.80

$11.10 MX$193

19.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.19 £3.10

$2.65 MX$46.14

58.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.50 MX$26.11

4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 £2.17

$1.99 MX$34.59

47.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 £2.50

$2.08 MX$36.13

62.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.79 MX$31.11

-16.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.73 £1.28

$2.18 MX$37.87

-20.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.78

$1.08 MX$18.73

-1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.04 MX$18.04

85.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.11 £14.14

$3.97 MX$69.1

381.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.43 £9.94

$10.20 MX$178

31.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 £1.93

$1.73 MX$30.04

50.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.49

$2.50 MX$43.46

34.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.77 £2.79

$0.52 MX$9.02

625.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$175 £129

$26.97 MX$469

547.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.29 £4.66

$3.14 MX$54.7

100.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 £1.40

$2.40 MX$41.80

-21.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.71 £10.88

$3.09 MX$53.7

376.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.38

$1.27 MX$22.16

47.24%

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

$37.8K £28.0K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

22.47%

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

$41.9K £31.0K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

79.91%

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

$229 £169

$82.0 MX$1,427

178.76%

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

$15.70 £11.62

$22.45 MX$391

-30.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.19 £32.70

$29.66 MX$516

48.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 £43.71

$51.9 MX$903

13.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.24 £20.15

$18.67 MX$325

45.90%

Cinema Ticket

$13.83 £10.24

$4.97 MX$86.5

178.27%

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

$1,392 £1,030

$198 MX$3,442

603.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.5K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

244.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.2 £63.0

$36.34 MX$632

134.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.07 £34.09

$40.05 MX$697

15.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 £74.0

$79.9 MX$1,390

25.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 £98.6

$88.9 MX$1,547

49.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 £981

$963 MX$16.8K

37.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 £858

$465 MX$8,086

149.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 £1,585

$1,596 MX$27.8K

34.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 £1,503

$1,209 MX$21.0K

68.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,719 £6,452

$3,942 MX$68.6K

121.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,898 £5,844

$6,448 MX$112.2K

22.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,756 £2,780

$720 MX$12.5K

421.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

11.42

-50.96%

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

Last update for Basingstoke: April 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,326 in Basingstoke 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 421% higher in Basingstoke, 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 $89.0 in Basingstoke versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $302 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

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

Yes – Basingstoke is pricier by about 96%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,777 per month in Basingstoke 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,392 per month in Basingstoke and $198 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Basingstoke, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,287, than in Basingstoke at $2,518. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Basingstoke it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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, Basingstoke makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.