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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,204 per month in Brentwood vs $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,400 per month in Brentwood vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,596 per month in Brentwood vs $3,362 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Brentwood costs about 146% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Brentwood sits 132% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 £14.94

$11.96 MX$203

69.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 £59.4

$47.38 MX$804

69.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 £8.67

$11.75 MX$199

-0.17%

Cappuccino

$4.73 £3.50

$4.12 MX$70.0

14.81%

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

$1.67 £1.23

$1.40 MX$23.74

19.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 £0.87

$0.91 MX$15.48

29.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.97 £5.15

$3.21 MX$54.4

117.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 £4.54

$7.07 MX$120

-13.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.68 MX$28.44

-1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 £0.83

$2.15 MX$36.48

-47.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 £1.77

$1.77 MX$30.10

35.59%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.96

$2.82 MX$47.76

41.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 £5.78

$9.20 MX$156

-15.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 £4.31

$9.23 MX$157

-36.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.95 £9.57

$12.64 MX$214

2.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 £2.49

$2.95 MX$50.1

14.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 £1.09

$1.58 MX$26.79

-6.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 £1.87

$2.22 MX$37.70

14.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 £2.11

$2.36 MX$40.09

20.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 £0.60

$1.99 MX$33.81

-58.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 £0.94

$1.98 MX$33.58

-35.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 £0.62

$1.24 MX$21.04

-33.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.21 MX$20.55

8.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.91 £12.49

$4.60 MX$78.1

267.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.25 £6.84

$10.52 MX$178

-12.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 £1.59

$1.69 MX$28.70

27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 £1.55

$2.77 MX$47.06

-24.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.42 £4.01

$0.60 MX$10.22

803.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.3 £70.4

$29.70 MX$504

220.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 £3.68

$5.24 MX$88.8

-5.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 £1.08

$3.65 MX$61.9

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.36 £16.52

$5.78 MX$98.1

286.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.47

$1.54 MX$26.09

29.22%

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

$39.7K £29.3K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

73.98%

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

$40.7K £30.1K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

57.79%

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

$320 £236

$90.7 MX$1,538

252.75%

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

$14.92 £11.03

$25.19 MX$427

-40.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.63 £30.77

$31.75 MX$539

31.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.08 £28.88

$68.8 MX$1,167

-43.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.92 £16.94

$29.37 MX$498

-21.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.93 £11.03

$4.86 MX$82.5

207.20%

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

$1,712 £1,265

$226 MX$3,828

658.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K £17.0K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

447.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.3 £63.0

$47.38 MX$804

79.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.35 £30.56

$43.45 MX$737

-4.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 £60.6

$80.2 MX$1,361

2.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 £73.1

$91.4 MX$1,550

8.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 £1,134

$1,086 MX$18.4K

41.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,902 £1,406

$409 MX$6,933

365.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,841 £2,100

$1,972 MX$33.5K

44.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 £2,114

$1,281 MX$21.7K

123.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,116 £3,781

$4,046 MX$68.6K

26.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,009 £2,963

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-40.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,442 £2,544

$773 MX$13.1K

345.13%

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 Brentwood: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,534 in Brentwood versus $1,086 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 345% higher in Brentwood, 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 $80.0 in Brentwood versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $253 in Brentwood vs $278 in Playa del Carmen – so Brentwood wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Brentwood costs about 146% 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 $4,807 per month in Brentwood and $1,958 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Brentwood and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,204 in Brentwood and $1,305 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Brentwood at $3,204. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brentwood it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,305 versus $3,204 in Brentwood. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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