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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,421 in Bridgend versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,613 in Bridgend versus $2,336 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,805 in Bridgend versus $3,341 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bridgend is roughly 82% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bridgend is 77% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 £15.64

$13.02 MX$221

63.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 £63.7

$46.25 MX$784

88.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 £7.99

$12.59 MX$213

-13.42%

Cappuccino

$4.85 £3.56

$4.00 MX$67.9

21.25%

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

$2.48 £1.82

$1.42 MX$24.08

74.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.35

$0.81 MX$13.73

127.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 £4.86

$3.05 MX$51.7

117.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 £4.42

$6.82 MX$116

-11.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.23

$1.71 MX$29.04

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 £1.42

$2.22 MX$37.62

-12.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 £2.08

$1.72 MX$29.13

65.12%

Eggs

$6.21 £4.56

$2.71 MX$45.99

129.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 £6.83

$9.37 MX$159

-0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.97 £8.77

$8.86 MX$150

35.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.48 £10.62

$12.78 MX$217

13.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.22

$3.13 MX$53.0

-3.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.13

$1.55 MX$26.24

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 £2.14

$2.15 MX$36.51

35.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 £2.37

$2.35 MX$39.89

37.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 £1.21

$2.02 MX$34.23

-18.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.16

$1.99 MX$33.67

-20.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 £0.90

$1.24 MX$21.09

-0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.11

$1.19 MX$20.21

27.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.11 £16.94

$4.65 MX$78.8

396.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 £7.93

$10.47 MX$177

3.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 £2.21

$1.58 MX$26.82

91.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 £2.44

$2.92 MX$49.48

14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.44

$0.56 MX$9.53

494.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.2 £69.8

$29.76 MX$504

219.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 £3.71

$5.32 MX$90.2

-4.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 £1.48

$3.72 MX$63.0

-45.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.53 £17.98

$5.78 MX$97.9

324.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.50

$1.55 MX$26.27

31.61%

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

$39.3K £28.8K

$22.4K MX$379.1K

75.68%

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

$50.8K £37.3K

$25.6K MX$433.3K

98.82%

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

$370 £271

$89.3 MX$1,513

314.16%

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

$25.60 £18.76

$23.30 MX$395

9.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.30 £26.61

$31.72 MX$538

14.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.85 £36.54

$68.8 MX$1,165

-27.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 £8.01

$29.40 MX$498

-62.82%

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 £9.81

$5.06 MX$85.7

164.43%

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

$1,636 £1,199

$222 MX$3,765

636.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K £16.0K

$4,293 MX$72.7K

407.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 £66.6

$46.21 MX$783

96.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.99 £34.45

$44.43 MX$753

5.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.6 £66.4

$95.5 MX$1,618

-5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 £68.7

$92.5 MX$1,568

1.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 £896

$1,069 MX$18.1K

14.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 £772

$393 MX$6,663

167.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,159 £849

$1,988 MX$33.7K

-41.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 £1,264

$1,304 MX$22.1K

32.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,171 £3,791

$4,037 MX$68.4K

28.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,329 £1,707

$747 MX$12.7K

211.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

11.6

-55.95%

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

Last update for Bridgend: August 17, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,223 in Bridgend and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgend pays 212% 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: $87.0 in Bridgend vs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $277 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

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

Bridgend and Playa del Carmen differ by about 82% in total monthly costs ($2,421 vs $1,330 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 212% higher in Bridgend, 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: $1,223 in Bridgend versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,636 in Bridgend versus $222 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Bridgend. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,421 in Bridgend, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bridgend. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Bridgend. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.