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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,488 in Brecon versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,656 in Brecon versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,824 in Brecon versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Brecon is roughly 97% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brecon is 82% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.39 £15.97

$11.60 MX$200

84.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 £84.1

$47.11 MX$811

139.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 £8.06

$11.88 MX$205

-9.09%

Cappuccino

$5.14 £3.83

$3.98 MX$68.5

29.15%

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

$2.71 £2.02

$1.43 MX$24.57

89.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.47

$0.82 MX$14.20

139.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 £6.13

$3.19 MX$54.9

157.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 £5.13

$6.79 MX$117

1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.68 MX$28.85

-8.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.30

$2.20 MX$37.83

-20.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 £1.57

$1.71 MX$29.41

22.81%

Eggs

$4.49 £3.35

$2.74 MX$47.20

63.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 £6.12

$9.58 MX$165

-14.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.03 £7.49

$9.01 MX$155

11.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 £11.00

$12.81 MX$221

15.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 £2.41

$2.89 MX$49.74

11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 £1.31

$1.50 MX$25.78

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 £2.04

$2.15 MX$36.98

26.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 £3.11

$2.26 MX$38.91

84.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 £1.57

$1.98 MX$34.10

6.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.99 MX$34.26

-25.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.23 MX$21.25

-0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 £1.53

$1.20 MX$20.60

70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.70 £17.70

$4.55 MX$78.3

420.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.74 £8.02

$10.37 MX$179

3.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 £2.17

$1.62 MX$27.88

79.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 £2.70

$2.88 MX$49.60

25.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 £2.67

$0.60 MX$10.34

496.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.7 £71.5

$28.80 MX$496

232.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 £2.58

$5.39 MX$92.8

-35.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.30

$3.73 MX$64.2

-53.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.42 £20.48

$5.77 MX$99.3

375.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.54 MX$26.45

34.42%

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

$39.0K £29.1K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

73.10%

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

$41.3K £30.9K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

58.56%

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

$327 £244

$91.4 MX$1,573

257.65%

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

$17.09 £12.76

$25.20 MX$434

-32.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.03 £29.15

$31.24 MX$538

24.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.07 £35.15

$67.2 MX$1,157

-29.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 £10.50

$4.86 MX$83.7

189.30%

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

$2,297 £1,715

$224 MX$3,851

927.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K £19.2K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

507.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 £77.7

$47.10 MX$811

120.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.58 £36.27

$44.29 MX$763

9.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 £83.0

$80.1 MX$1,379

38.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.7 £73.7

$92.7 MX$1,596

6.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 £914

$1,063 MX$18.3K

15.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 £774

$390 MX$6,719

165.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 £1,572

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-2.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,663 £1,241

$1,272 MX$21.9K

30.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,189 £3,874

$4,001 MX$68.9K

29.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,022 £3,003

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-38.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,656 £2,730

$758 MX$13.1K

382.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

11.45

-57.47%

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

Last update for Brecon: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Brecon and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brecon pays 382% 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: $113 in Brecon vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $276 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

Brecon 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. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 382% higher in Brecon, 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: $1,224 in Brecon versus $1,063 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 $47.00 versus $113 in Brecon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,488 per month in Brecon versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,488 in Brecon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Brecon. 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 Brecon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Brecon 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 97% less than in Brecon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.