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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,054 in Brackenfell versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,653 in Brackenfell versus $2,336 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,252 in Brackenfell versus $3,341 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Brackenfell costs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brackenfell 23% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.48 R 153

$13.02 MX$221

-27.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.81 R 400

$46.25 MX$784

-46.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.18 R 99.5

$12.59 MX$213

-50.91%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R 39.37

$4.00 MX$67.9

-39.00%

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

$1.15 R 18.45

$1.42 MX$24.08

-19.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R 16.04

$0.81 MX$13.73

23.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 R 40.56

$3.05 MX$51.7

-17.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R 40.49

$6.82 MX$116

-63.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R 17.75

$1.71 MX$29.04

-35.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 R 18.36

$2.22 MX$37.62

-48.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 R 36.41

$1.72 MX$29.13

31.40%

Eggs

$1.91 R 30.73

$2.71 MX$45.99

-29.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 R 133

$9.37 MX$159

-11.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.86 R 46.01

$8.86 MX$150

-67.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.06 R 114

$12.78 MX$217

-44.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.07

$3.13 MX$53.0

-52.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R 30.52

$1.55 MX$26.24

22.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 26.81

$2.15 MX$36.51

-22.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.01

$2.35 MX$39.89

-28.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.10

$2.02 MX$34.23

-32.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R 16.88

$1.99 MX$33.67

-47.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 R 15.57

$1.24 MX$21.09

-21.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 R 16.87

$1.19 MX$20.21

-11.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.46 R 55.7

$4.65 MX$78.8

-25.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.26 R 68.5

$10.47 MX$177

-59.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 21.78

$1.58 MX$26.82

-14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 R 31.50

$2.92 MX$49.48

-32.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 R 25.07

$0.56 MX$9.53

178.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.64 R 10.28

$5.32 MX$90.2

-87.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R 15.45

$3.72 MX$63.0

-74.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 R 82.9

$5.78 MX$97.9

-11.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R 21.43

$1.55 MX$26.27

-14.19%

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

$18.7K R 301.9K

$22.4K MX$379.1K

-16.22%

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

$20.0K R 322.0K

$25.6K MX$433.3K

-21.82%

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

$121 R 1,952

$89.3 MX$1,513

35.74%

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

$31.06 R 500

$23.30 MX$395

33.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 R 635

$31.72 MX$538

24.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.29 R 391

$68.8 MX$1,165

-64.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 R 152

$5.06 MX$85.7

87.15%

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

$157 R 2,534

$222 MX$3,765

-29.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,360 R 102.4K

$4,293 MX$72.7K

48.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.05 R 710

$46.21 MX$783

-4.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.95 R 370

$44.43 MX$753

-48.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 R 1,077

$95.5 MX$1,618

-29.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.6 R 831

$92.5 MX$1,568

-44.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$667 R 10.7K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-37.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 R 6,496

$393 MX$6,663

2.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 R 21.5K

$1,988 MX$33.7K

-32.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$936 R 15.1K

$1,304 MX$22.1K

-28.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$872 R 14.0K

$4,037 MX$68.4K

-78.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$638 R 10.3K

$6,627 MX$112.3K

-90.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,824 R 29.4K

$747 MX$12.7K

144.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

11.6

-3.79%

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

Last update for Brackenfell: August 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $667 in Brackenfell and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brackenfell pays 144% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Brackenfell vs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $277 per month, with Brackenfell 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

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

Brackenfell wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brackenfell the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 144% higher in Brackenfell, 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: $667 in Brackenfell versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $157 in Brackenfell versus $222 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brackenfell – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,054 in Brackenfell versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brackenfell but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Brackenfell the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brackenfell delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,054 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brackenfell hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Brackenfell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.