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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,876 in Bristol versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,205 in Bristol versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,533 in Bristol versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Bristol is roughly 129% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bristol is 115% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 £15.35

$11.99 MX$209

71.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 £76.0

$41.78 MX$728

144.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 £8.01

$10.75 MX$187

Cappuccino

$5.11 £3.80

$3.50 MX$60.9

46.00%

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

$2.80 £2.08

$1.45 MX$25.22

93.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 £1.33

$0.88 MX$15.41

103.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 £5.83

$2.95 MX$51.3

165.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 £4.92

$4.51 MX$78.6

46.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.43 MX$24.94

13.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 £1.72

$1.84 MX$31.99

25.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 £1.43

$1.57 MX$27.31

21.66%

Eggs

$4.20 £3.13

$2.51 MX$43.74

67.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 £9.23

$8.28 MX$144

49.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 £8.64

$8.43 MX$147

37.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.31 £9.17

$10.68 MX$186

15.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 £2.63

$2.61 MX$45.43

35.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.44 MX$25.04

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 £2.04

$1.96 MX$34.16

39.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 £3.03

$2.09 MX$36.47

95.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 £1.49

$1.85 MX$32.24

8.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$2.17 MX$37.74

-18.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.03 MX$17.96

20.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.37

$1.07 MX$18.70

71.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.20 £15.78

$4.10 MX$71.4

417.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.72 £7.98

$10.17 MX$177

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 £2.18

$1.68 MX$29.17

74.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.04

$2.53 MX$43.98

8.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 £2.39

$0.51 MX$8.87

527.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 £85.8

$26.04 MX$453

342.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 £4.02

$3.23 MX$56.3

67.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 £1.20

$2.41 MX$41.88

-33.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.72 £19.90

$3.23 MX$56.2

727.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.32 MX$23.00

49.24%

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

$38.2K £28.5K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

28.80%

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

$35.7K £26.6K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

51.03%

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

$302 £225

$82.0 MX$1,428

268.25%

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

$16.41 £12.22

$22.95 MX$400

-28.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.65 £33.24

$30.11 MX$524

48.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.26 £36.68

$52.0 MX$905

-5.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.45 £7.78

$18.53 MX$323

-43.60%

Cinema Ticket

$13.68 £10.19

$4.98 MX$86.6

174.70%

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

$2,182 £1,625

$197 MX$3,438

1005.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K £18.5K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

366.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.3 £71.7

$35.60 MX$620

170.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.54 £36.88

$40.33 MX$702

22.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £85.1

$78.8 MX$1,371

45.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 £101

$88.9 MX$1,549

53.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,886 £1,404

$947 MX$16.5K

99.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 £1,054

$474 MX$8,254

198.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,039 £2,263

$1,644 MX$28.6K

84.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,277 £1,695

$1,211 MX$21.1K

88.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,835 £5,089

$4,056 MX$70.6K

68.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,308 £3,952

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-17.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,857 £2,872

$654 MX$11.4K

489.85%

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 Bristol: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,886 in Bristol and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays 490% 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: $102 in Bristol vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $249 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

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

Bristol and Playa del Carmen differ by about 129% in total monthly costs ($2,876 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 490% higher in Bristol, 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: $1,886 in Bristol versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Bristol. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $102 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,876 in Bristol, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Bristol. 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.

Safety-wise, Bristol 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 129% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.