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: $1,959 in Carlisle versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,920 in Carlisle versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,880 in Carlisle versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Carlisle is roughly 55% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carlisle is 43% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.86 £14.10

$11.60 MX$200

62.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.8 £53.6

$47.11 MX$812

52.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 £7.58

$11.88 MX$205

-14.56%

Cappuccino

$3.52 £2.63

$3.98 MX$68.6

-11.56%

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

$2.21 £1.65

$1.43 MX$24.60

54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 £1.53

$0.82 MX$14.22

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.29 £3.20

$3.19 MX$55.0

34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 £3.16

$6.79 MX$117

-37.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.68 MX$28.89

-9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 £1.04

$2.20 MX$37.88

-36.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 £2.47

$1.71 MX$29.45

93.57%

Eggs

$3.79 £2.83

$2.74 MX$47.26

38.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 £5.96

$9.58 MX$165

-16.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.10 £5.30

$9.01 MX$155

-21.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.54 £12.36

$12.81 MX$221

29.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.89 MX$49.81

15.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 £2.13

$1.50 MX$25.81

89.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 £1.96

$2.15 MX$37.03

22.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 £2.13

$2.26 MX$38.96

26.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 £1.28

$1.98 MX$34.15

-13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.99 MX$34.30

-8.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.23 MX$21.28

0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.20 MX$20.63

14.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.07 £17.24

$4.55 MX$78.5

407.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 £6.00

$10.37 MX$179

-22.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.14

$1.62 MX$27.91

76.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 £2.73

$2.88 MX$49.67

27.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 £2.45

$0.60 MX$10.35

445.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 £56.8

$28.80 MX$497

164.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.27 £3.19

$5.39 MX$92.9

-20.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.3

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.64 £25.14

$5.77 MX$99.5

483.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.54 MX$26.48

27.27%

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

$38.5K £28.7K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

70.60%

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

$40.7K £30.4K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

56.32%

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

$306 £229

$91.4 MX$1,576

234.91%

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

$17.31 £12.94

$25.20 MX$435

-31.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.25 £26.34

$31.24 MX$539

12.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.42 £34.69

$67.2 MX$1,159

-30.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 £12.29

$29.11 MX$502

-43.52%

Cinema Ticket

$10.62 £7.94

$4.86 MX$83.8

118.52%

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

$826 £617

$224 MX$3,856

269.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 £81.2

$47.10 MX$812

130.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 £41.22

$44.29 MX$764

24.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £85.1

$80.1 MX$1,381

42.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 £97.3

$92.7 MX$1,598

40.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 £590

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-25.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 £532

$390 MX$6,728

82.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 £904

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-43.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,161 £867

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-8.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,590 £1,936

$4,001 MX$69.0K

-35.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 £2,181

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-55.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,927 £2,187

$758 MX$13.1K

286.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.64

11.45

-50.74%

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

Last update for Carlisle: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $790 in Carlisle and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlisle pays 286% 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: $72.0 in Carlisle vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $276 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 55% 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.

Average pay runs 286% higher in Carlisle, 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: $790 in Carlisle versus $1,063 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 $47.00 versus $72.0 in Carlisle. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,959 per month in Carlisle versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,959 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 $1,266 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 55% less than in Carlisle. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.