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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,186 in Cheltenham versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,213 in Cheltenham versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,240 in Cheltenham versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cheltenham is roughly 74% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cheltenham is 64% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.67 £15.38

$11.99 MX$210

72.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.9 £61.6

$41.78 MX$733

98.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.05 £8.22

$10.75 MX$189

2.79%

Cappuccino

$4.67 £3.47

$3.50 MX$61.3

33.43%

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

$2.08 £1.55

$1.45 MX$25.41

43.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.99

$0.88 MX$15.52

51.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.32 £3.95

$2.95 MX$51.7

80.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 £4.96

$4.51 MX$79.1

47.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.43 MX$25.12

2.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 £0.52

$1.84 MX$32.23

-62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.57 MX$27.51

31.85%

Eggs

$4.55 £3.38

$2.51 MX$44.06

81.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.72 £3.51

$8.28 MX$145

-43.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 £5.26

$8.43 MX$148

-16.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.89 £11.82

$10.68 MX$187

48.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 £1.53

$2.61 MX$45.76

-21.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 £1.27

$1.44 MX$25.22

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 £1.50

$1.96 MX$34.41

3.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 £2.67

$2.09 MX$36.74

71.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.85 MX$32.47

-27.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$2.17 MX$38.02

-15.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 £0.80

$1.03 MX$18.09

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.07 MX$18.84

47.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.22 £12.81

$4.10 MX$72.0

320.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 £8.41

$10.17 MX$178

11.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.68 MX$29.38

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 £1.47

$2.53 MX$44.31

-21.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 £2.64

$0.51 MX$8.93

598.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 £42.06

$26.04 MX$457

117.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 £3.02

$3.23 MX$56.7

25.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 £1.03

$2.41 MX$42.19

-42.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.73 £19.14

$3.23 MX$56.6

696.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.32 MX$23.17

43.94%

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

$38.9K £28.9K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

30.93%

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

$41.6K £30.9K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

75.74%

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

$262 £195

$82.0 MX$1,439

219.58%

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

$15.81 £11.76

$22.95 MX$403

-31.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.79 £32.57

$30.11 MX$528

45.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.78 £32.56

$52.0 MX$912

-15.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.33 £17.35

$18.53 MX$325

25.90%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 £10.30

$4.98 MX$87.3

178.11%

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

$1,411 £1,049

$197 MX$3,463

614.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K £10.2K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

157.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 £83.1

$35.60 MX$624

213.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.74 £26.59

$40.33 MX$707

-11.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.5

$78.8 MX$1,381

42.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 £73.5

$88.9 MX$1,560

11.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 £867

$947 MX$16.6K

23.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 £702

$474 MX$8,314

98.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,262 £1,682

$1,644 MX$28.8K

37.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,676 £1,247

$1,211 MX$21.2K

38.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,683 £4,227

$4,056 MX$71.1K

40.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,809 £4,321

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-10.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,756 £3,538

$654 MX$11.5K

627.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.79

11.42

-49.30%

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

Last update for Cheltenham: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,166 in Cheltenham and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheltenham pays 627% 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: $83.0 in Cheltenham vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 627% higher in Cheltenham, 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: $1,166 in Cheltenham versus $947 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 $83.0 in Cheltenham. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,186 per month in Cheltenham versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,186 in Cheltenham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cheltenham. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Cheltenham 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 74% less than in Cheltenham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.