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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,311 in Carlisle versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,115 in Carlisle versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,918 in Carlisle versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Carlisle is roughly 78% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlisle is 72% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.14 £14.26

$11.73 MX$203

63.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.6 £66.0

$41.62 MX$719

112.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.32 £6.94

$10.64 MX$184

-12.41%

Cappuccino

$4.06 £3.02

$3.52 MX$60.8

15.34%

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

$2.12 £1.58

$1.51 MX$26.09

40.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.39

$0.97 MX$16.82

91.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 £3.99

$2.95 MX$51.0

81.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 £4.03

$4.45 MX$77.0

21.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.38 MX$23.90

10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.89 MX$32.69

-10.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.62

$1.64 MX$28.29

32.32%

Eggs

$4.30 £3.20

$2.51 MX$43.30

71.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 £6.06

$8.34 MX$144

-2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 £7.21

$8.34 MX$144

16.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.43 £12.24

$10.73 MX$185

53.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 £2.36

$2.60 MX$45.00

21.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.46 MX$25.18

4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 £1.98

$1.90 MX$32.84

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.93 £2.18

$2.08 MX$35.88

40.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.78 MX$30.68

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$2.19 MX$37.76

-34.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.04 MX$17.97

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 £0.97

$1.08 MX$18.60

21.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.65 £15.39

$4.08 MX$70.5

406.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 £6.11

$10.32 MX$178

-20.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 £1.94

$1.71 MX$29.59

52.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 £2.43

$2.58 MX$44.50

26.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 £2.21

$0.51 MX$8.81

480.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.1 £56.7

$26.46 MX$457

187.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 £3.08

$3.26 MX$56.4

26.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.24

$2.49 MX$43.05

-32.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.32 £31.53

$3.25 MX$56.1

1202.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.31 MX$22.59

42.75%

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

$39.0K £29.0K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

28.65%

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

$38.5K £28.6K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

64.12%

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

$308 £230

$82.9 MX$1,432

272.26%

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

$17.14 £12.77

$22.22 MX$384

-22.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.89 £28.23

$29.34 MX$507

29.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.57 £35.44

$51.6 MX$892

-7.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$8.07 £6.01

$5.07 MX$87.5

59.17%

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

$1,928 £1,436

$201 MX$3,470

860.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K £17.7K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

356.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 £60.3

$36.92 MX$638

119.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 £40.65

$39.79 MX$688

37.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.5

$78.5 MX$1,356

35.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 £93.1

$87.1 MX$1,505

43.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 £604

$973 MX$16.8K

-16.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 £748

$468 MX$8,082

114.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 £1,513

$1,641 MX$28.4K

23.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,174 £875

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-3.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,543 £1,894

$3,946 MX$68.2K

-35.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,941 £2,191

$6,498 MX$112.3K

-54.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,841 £2,117

$664 MX$11.5K

327.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.42

-50.70%

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

Last update for Carlisle: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $811 in Carlisle and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlisle pays 328% 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: $89.0 in Carlisle vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Carlisle. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Carlisle pays 328% more on average, 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: $811 in Carlisle versus $973 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 $42.00 versus $89.0 in Carlisle. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,311 per month in Carlisle versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,311 in Carlisle, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Carlisle. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,297 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Carlisle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.