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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,808 in Bath versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,048 in Bath versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,287 in Bath versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bath is roughly 117% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bath is 104% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.13 £17.85

$11.71 MX$198

106.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 £74.2

$46.59 MX$787

115.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.05

$11.65 MX$197

-6.52%

Cappuccino

$5.08 £3.76

$4.09 MX$69.1

24.21%

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

$3.12 £2.31

$1.37 MX$23.21

127.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 £1.56

$0.83 MX$14.08

153.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 £5.76

$3.35 MX$56.6

132.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 £5.09

$6.91 MX$117

-0.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 £1.35

$1.73 MX$29.16

5.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 £1.30

$2.26 MX$38.17

-22.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 £1.62

$1.77 MX$29.88

23.73%

Eggs

$4.33 £3.21

$2.73 MX$46.14

58.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.74 £7.20

$9.18 MX$155

6.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 £7.19

$8.92 MX$151

8.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 £10.85

$12.60 MX$213

16.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 £2.38

$3.02 MX$51.0

6.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.57 MX$26.52

17.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 £2.34

$2.13 MX$35.89

48.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 £3.13

$2.26 MX$38.23

87.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 £1.54

$2.00 MX$33.84

4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.17

$2.06 MX$34.86

-22.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 £0.94

$1.18 MX$19.92

7.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.20 MX$20.33

64.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 £17.87

$4.63 MX$78.3

421.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 £8.24

$10.69 MX$180

4.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 £2.27

$1.62 MX$27.35

89.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 £2.52

$2.88 MX$48.65

18.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 £2.59

$0.57 MX$9.68

514.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$133 £98.1

$29.83 MX$504

344.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 £3.47

$5.45 MX$92.0

-13.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 £1.22

$3.70 MX$62.6

-55.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.53 £20.37

$5.98 MX$101

360.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.55 MX$26.23

32.26%

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

$39.9K £29.5K

$22.3K MX$377.0K

78.66%

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

$41.9K £31.0K

$25.9K MX$438.2K

61.63%

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

$316 £233

$89.1 MX$1,505

254.06%

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

$17.46 £12.92

$25.04 MX$423

-30.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.22 £32.71

$31.50 MX$532

40.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.61 £34.48

$67.8 MX$1,145

-31.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.31 £15.03

$28.92 MX$488

-29.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 £10.50

$5.05 MX$85.3

180.99%

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

$2,016 £1,492

$225 MX$3,798

796.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K £19.0K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

508.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.2 £72.6

$47.44 MX$801

106.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.08 £36.31

$44.98 MX$759

9.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 £81.3

$82.0 MX$1,384

33.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £74.4

$92.1 MX$1,555

9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,841 £1,362

$1,069 MX$18.1K

72.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 £1,040

$405 MX$6,844

246.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,674 £2,718

$1,935 MX$32.7K

89.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,159 £1,597

$1,301 MX$22.0K

65.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.0K £7,429

$3,995 MX$67.5K

151.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,938 £5,133

$6,626 MX$111.9K

4.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,761 £2,782

$749 MX$12.6K

402.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

11.45

-55.37%

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

Last update for Bath: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,841 in Bath and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bath pays 402% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $100 in Bath vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $277 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 402% higher in Bath, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,841 in Bath versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,808 per month in Bath versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 344% less than in Bath. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,808 in Bath, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bath. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bath, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Bath. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.