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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,107 per month in Bedford vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,351 per month in Bedford vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,596 per month in Bedford vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Bedford costs about 66% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Bedford sits 54% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 £14.90

$11.60 MX$200

72.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.1 £65.1

$47.11 MX$811

84.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 £7.99

$11.88 MX$205

-9.93%

Cappuccino

$4.64 £3.47

$3.98 MX$68.5

16.58%

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

$1.99 £1.49

$1.43 MX$24.57

39.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 £0.89

$0.82 MX$14.20

45.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.81 £5.09

$3.19 MX$54.9

113.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 £4.60

$6.79 MX$117

-9.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.24

$1.68 MX$28.85

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 £1.10

$2.20 MX$37.83

-32.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.71 MX$29.41

-1.75%

Eggs

$3.98 £2.97

$2.74 MX$47.20

45.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 £7.16

$9.58 MX$165

0.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 £6.53

$9.01 MX$155

-2.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 £9.86

$12.81 MX$221

3.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 £2.48

$2.89 MX$49.74

14.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.50 MX$25.78

-12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 £1.95

$2.15 MX$36.98

21.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 £2.37

$2.26 MX$38.91

40.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.98 MX$34.10

-34.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$1.99 MX$34.26

-33.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.78

$1.23 MX$21.25

-15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.20 MX$20.60

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.84 £17.80

$4.55 MX$78.3

423.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 £8.13

$10.37 MX$179

4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 £2.01

$1.62 MX$27.88

66.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 £1.79

$2.88 MX$49.60

-17.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 £2.03

$0.60 MX$10.34

353.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 £3.64

$5.39 MX$92.8

-9.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 £1.08

$3.73 MX$64.2

-61.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.39 £18.21

$5.77 MX$99.3

322.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.49

$1.54 MX$26.45

29.22%

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

$39.6K £29.6K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

75.82%

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

$41.7K £31.1K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

60.05%

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

$312 £233

$91.4 MX$1,573

241.38%

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

$18.16 £13.56

$25.20 MX$434

-27.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.22 £30.03

$31.24 MX$538

28.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.08 £27.69

$67.2 MX$1,157

-44.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$16.22 £12.11

$4.86 MX$83.7

233.74%

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

$955 £713

$224 MX$3,851

327.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.6K £16.1K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

409.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.34 £18.18

$47.10 MX$811

-48.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.78 £19.25

$44.29 MX$763

-41.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 £61.6

$80.1 MX$1,379

3.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.3 £65.9

$92.7 MX$1,596

-4.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 £841

$1,063 MX$18.3K

5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$965 £721

$390 MX$6,719

147.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,414 £1,803

$2,149 MX$37.0K

12.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 £1,527

$1,272 MX$21.9K

60.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,255 £2,431

$758 MX$13.1K

329.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.67

11.45

-59.21%

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

Last update for Bedford: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,126 in Bedford 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 329% higher in Bedford, 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 $87.0 in Bedford versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 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

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

Bedford costs about 66% 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 $3,160 per month in Bedford 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 $2,107 in Bedford and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $955 per month in Bedford and $224 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Bedford at $2,107. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bedford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,266 versus $2,107 in Bedford. 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, Bedford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.