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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,220 in Caernarfon versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,734 in Caernarfon versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Caernarfon versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Caernarfon costs roughly 7% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Caernarfon 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.45 £9.94

$11.96 MX$203

12.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.0 £68.8

$47.38 MX$804

96.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.36 £6.92

$11.75 MX$199

-20.34%

Cappuccino

$4.04 £2.99

$4.12 MX$70.0

-1.94%

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

$2.63 £1.94

$1.40 MX$23.74

87.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.39

$0.91 MX$15.48

106.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 £3.66

$3.21 MX$54.4

54.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 £3.07

$7.07 MX$120

-41.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.37

$1.68 MX$28.44

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 £1.34

$2.15 MX$36.48

-15.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 £1.62

$1.77 MX$30.10

23.73%

Eggs

$2.50 £1.85

$2.82 MX$47.76

-11.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 £8.41

$9.20 MX$156

23.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.24 £5.35

$9.23 MX$157

-21.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.33 £11.33

$12.64 MX$214

21.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 £1.86

$2.95 MX$50.1

-14.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 £1.02

$1.58 MX$26.79

-12.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$2.22 MX$37.70

-40.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 £1.01

$2.36 MX$40.09

-41.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.99 MX$33.81

-18.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 £1.33

$1.98 MX$33.58

-9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 £1.05

$1.24 MX$21.04

14.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.17

$1.21 MX$20.55

30.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.30 £16.48

$4.60 MX$78.1

384.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.32 £6.89

$10.52 MX$178

-11.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.62 £2.68

$1.69 MX$28.70

114.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.50

$2.77 MX$47.06

22.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.80 £4.28

$0.60 MX$10.22

866.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.4 £50.6

$29.70 MX$504

130.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 £3.78

$5.24 MX$88.8

-2.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 £1.77

$3.65 MX$61.9

-34.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.85 £18.37

$5.78 MX$98.1

329.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.54 MX$26.09

30.52%

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

$38.5K £28.4K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

68.81%

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

$40.8K £30.1K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

57.92%

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

$324 £239

$90.7 MX$1,538

256.87%

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

$22.63 £16.73

$25.19 MX$427

-10.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.92 £30.25

$31.75 MX$539

28.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.28 £22.38

$68.8 MX$1,167

-55.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$16.12 £11.91

$4.86 MX$82.5

231.69%

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

$1,624 £1,200

$226 MX$3,828

619.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K £18.0K

$4,194 MX$71.1K

481.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 £80.9

$47.38 MX$804

131.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 £37.80

$43.45 MX$737

17.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £78.5

$80.2 MX$1,361

32.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 £59.5

$91.4 MX$1,550

-11.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 £486

$1,086 MX$18.4K

-39.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 £1,193

$1,281 MX$21.7K

25.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,616 £2,673

$773 MX$13.1K

367.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

11.45

-55.55%

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

Last update for Caernarfon: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Caernarfon and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caernarfon pays 368% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $93.0 in Caernarfon vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $278 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

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

Caernarfon is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 368% higher in Caernarfon, 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: $657 in Caernarfon versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Caernarfon – a meal for two runs $93.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,220 per month in Caernarfon versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,220 in Caernarfon versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caernarfon but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Caernarfon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Caernarfon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Caernarfon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.