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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,078 per month in Blackburn vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,035 per month in Blackburn vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,993 per month in Blackburn vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Blackburn costs about 65% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Blackburn sits 56% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.18 £12.04

$11.99 MX$209

34.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.2 £43.31

$41.78 MX$728

39.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.29 £6.17

$10.75 MX$187

-22.88%

Cappuccino

$3.93 £2.93

$3.50 MX$60.9

12.29%

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

$2.34 £1.74

$1.45 MX$25.22

61.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.13

$0.88 MX$15.41

71.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.84 £3.60

$2.95 MX$51.3

64.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 £4.09

$4.51 MX$78.6

21.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.43 MX$24.94

9.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.26

$1.84 MX$31.99

-7.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.57 MX$27.31

-11.46%

Eggs

$3.12 £2.32

$2.51 MX$43.74

24.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 £7.73

$8.28 MX$144

25.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.48 £6.31

$8.43 MX$147

0.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.57 £13.08

$10.68 MX$186

64.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$2.61 MX$45.43

-37.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.44 MX$25.04

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 £1.76

$1.96 MX$34.16

20.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 £2.84

$2.09 MX$36.47

82.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.85 MX$32.24

-28.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 £1.25

$2.17 MX$37.74

-23.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 £0.35

$1.03 MX$17.96

-55.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.07 MX$18.70

74.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.00 £13.40

$4.10 MX$71.4

339.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 £6.95

$10.17 MX$177

-8.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 £1.70

$1.68 MX$29.17

36.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 £1.44

$2.53 MX$43.98

-23.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 £2.08

$0.51 MX$8.87

449.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.28 £35.20

$26.04 MX$453

81.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 £2.07

$3.23 MX$56.3

-13.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 £1.11

$2.41 MX$41.88

-38.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.32 £12.15

$3.23 MX$56.2

405.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.32 MX$23.00

48.48%

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

$38.6K £28.7K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

30.02%

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

$41.3K £30.7K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

74.38%

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

$297 £221

$82.0 MX$1,428

262.07%

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

$16.92 £12.60

$22.95 MX$400

-26.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.60 £22.04

$30.11 MX$524

-1.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.50 £30.15

$52.0 MX$905

-22.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.30 £9.16

$18.53 MX$323

-33.62%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 £5.05

$4.98 MX$86.6

36.14%

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

$1,090 £812

$197 MX$3,438

452.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,836 £5,089

$5,336 MX$92.9K

28.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 £50.8

$35.60 MX$620

91.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.17 £32.14

$40.33 MX$702

7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 £61.0

$78.8 MX$1,371

4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.3 £52.4

$88.9 MX$1,549

-20.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 £920

$947 MX$16.5K

30.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$979 £729

$474 MX$8,254

106.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 £1,440

$1,644 MX$28.6K

17.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 £1,257

$1,211 MX$21.1K

39.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,655 £4,955

$4,056 MX$70.6K

64.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,624 £3,442

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-28.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,877 £1,397

$654 MX$11.4K

187.06%

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 Blackburn: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,236 in Blackburn versus $947 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 187% higher in Blackburn, 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 $58.0 in Blackburn versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $249 – 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,078 in Blackburn, $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 65% apart. Blackburn costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,117 per month in Blackburn and $1,884 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 $2,078 in Blackburn and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 82% 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 $1,256, than in Blackburn at $2,078. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Blackburn it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,256 in Playa del Carmen to $2,078 in Blackburn. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Blackburn makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.