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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,250 in Berwick versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,254 in Berwick versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,258 in Berwick versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Berwick is roughly 74% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Berwick is 68% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.43 A$22.89

$11.73 MX$203

40.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.0 A$109

$41.62 MX$720

87.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.99 A$13.92

$10.64 MX$184

-6.11%

Cappuccino

$3.41 A$4.74

$3.52 MX$60.9

-3.12%

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

$2.50 A$3.49

$1.51 MX$26.12

65.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.07

$0.97 MX$16.84

127.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 A$9.02

$2.95 MX$51.0

119.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 A$9.70

$4.45 MX$77.0

56.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 A$2.05

$1.38 MX$23.93

6.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 A$3.28

$1.89 MX$32.72

24.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.81

$1.64 MX$28.32

22.56%

Eggs

$4.36 A$6.07

$2.51 MX$43.34

73.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 A$11.81

$8.34 MX$144

1.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 A$12.03

$8.34 MX$144

3.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.92 A$19.39

$10.73 MX$186

29.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.42

$2.60 MX$45.04

22.31%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.83

$1.46 MX$25.20

88.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.15

$1.90 MX$32.87

56.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 A$5.77

$2.08 MX$35.91

99.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 A$3.39

$1.78 MX$30.71

36.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 A$2.91

$2.19 MX$37.80

-4.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 A$3.00

$1.04 MX$17.99

106.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 A$2.19

$1.08 MX$18.62

45.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.34 A$42.28

$4.08 MX$70.6

643.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.34

$10.32 MX$178

34.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.60 A$6.41

$1.71 MX$29.61

169.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.21 A$7.26

$2.58 MX$44.54

101.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 A$3.68

$0.51 MX$8.81

417.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 A$92.1

$26.46 MX$458

149.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$4.93

$3.26 MX$56.4

8.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.25

$2.49 MX$43.09

-34.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.97 A$45.94

$3.25 MX$56.2

914.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.64

$1.31 MX$22.61

-9.92%

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

$29.4K A$41.0K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-2.93%

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

$22.4K A$31.2K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-4.47%

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

$180 A$251

$82.9 MX$1,433

117.33%

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

$27.20 A$37.91

$22.22 MX$384

22.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 A$73.8

$29.34 MX$507

80.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.16 A$67.1

$51.6 MX$893

-6.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.85 A$22.09

$18.32 MX$317

-13.48%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 A$18.33

$5.07 MX$87.6

159.37%

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

$1,648 A$2,297

$201 MX$3,473

720.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.6K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

128.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.2 A$96.5

$36.92 MX$639

87.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.66 A$69.2

$39.79 MX$688

24.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 A$136

$78.5 MX$1,357

24.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 A$148

$87.1 MX$1,506

22.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 A$1,729

$973 MX$16.8K

27.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,070 A$1,490

$468 MX$8,090

128.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 A$2,848

$1,641 MX$28.4K

24.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 A$2,319

$1,221 MX$21.1K

36.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,399 A$7,523

$3,946 MX$68.3K

36.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,343 A$7,446

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-17.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.42

-44.48%

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

Last update for Berwick: June 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,241 in Berwick and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Berwick vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $249 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,375 in Berwick and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,241 in Berwick versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $78.0 in Berwick. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,250 per month in Berwick versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,250 in Berwick, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Berwick. 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 Berwick, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Berwick and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Berwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.