Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cromwell and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,011 in Cromwell, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Cromwell
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Cromwell Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Cromwell

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,011

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cromwell and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cromwell and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,011 in Cromwell versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Cromwell $2,011
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,881 in Cromwell versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Cromwell $2,881
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,751 in Cromwell versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Cromwell $3,751
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Cromwell is roughly 67% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cromwell is 48% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 NZ$25.64

$10.92 MX$205

32.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 NZ$111

$43.37 MX$815

44.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.51 NZ$20.46

$11.78 MX$221

-2.29%

Cappuccino

$3.26 NZ$5.79

$3.81 MX$71.6

-14.44%

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

$2.15 NZ$3.82

$1.28 MX$24.10

67.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 NZ$3.65

$0.78 MX$14.71

162.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.68 NZ$11.88

$3.17 MX$59.5

110.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 NZ$11.18

$4.93 MX$92.7

27.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 NZ$3.75

$1.41 MX$26.43

49.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 NZ$3.45

$2.22 MX$41.66

-12.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 NZ$3.01

$1.42 MX$26.64

19.01%

Eggs

$5.81 NZ$10.32

$2.52 MX$47.41

130.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 NZ$15.38

$7.26 MX$137

19.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 NZ$16.66

$7.70 MX$145

21.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 NZ$29.52

$12.69 MX$239

30.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 NZ$5.45

$2.78 MX$52.3

10.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NZ$4.13

$1.37 MX$25.71

69.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 NZ$5.65

$2.55 MX$47.94

24.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.02 NZ$8.92

$2.12 MX$39.90

136.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 NZ$3.29

$1.94 MX$36.43

-4.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.22

$1.89 MX$35.44

-4.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 NZ$4.05

$1.15 MX$21.55

98.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 NZ$1.06

$1.18 MX$22.16

-49.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.12 NZ$37.55

$4.30 MX$80.7

391.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.94 NZ$15.89

$9.95 MX$187

-10.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 NZ$5.60

$1.58 MX$29.76

99.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 NZ$2.16

$2.67 MX$50.2

-54.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.88 NZ$3.33

$0.55 MX$10.40

241.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.3 NZ$166

$26.62 MX$500

250.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 NZ$3.94

$4.97 MX$93.4

-55.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 NZ$3.72

$3.33 MX$62.6

-37.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.85 NZ$51.3

$5.36 MX$101

438.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 NZ$3.25

$1.44 MX$27.14

27.08%

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

$28.2K NZ$50.1K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

36.33%

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

$22.8K NZ$40.5K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

-2.84%

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

$110 NZ$196

$84.8 MX$1,594

29.83%

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

$28.58 NZ$50.8

$23.41 MX$440

22.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 NZ$94.0

$28.66 MX$539

84.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.41 NZ$70.1

$57.1 MX$1,072

-30.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.00 NZ$12.45

$28.91 MX$543

-75.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.35 NZ$14.84

$5.14 MX$96.6

62.45%

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

$796 NZ$1,415

$207 MX$3,882

285.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K NZ$22.1K

$3,927 MX$73.8K

217.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 NZ$106

$43.35 MX$815

37.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.97 NZ$63.9

$41.44 MX$779

-13.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 NZ$161

$74.2 MX$1,394

22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 NZ$238

$89.3 MX$1,677

49.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 NZ$1,800

$980 MX$18.4K

3.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$932 NZ$1,657

$381 MX$7,157

144.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 NZ$2,912

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-4.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 NZ$2,296

$1,075 MX$20.2K

20.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,771 NZ$8,481

$3,943 MX$74.1K

21.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,354 NZ$5,962

$6,158 MX$115.7K

-45.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,034 NZ$5,393

$735 MX$13.8K

313.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

11.45

-42.36%

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

Last update for Cromwell: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cromwell

$932 46.4%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 59.1% $551

Groceries & Markets

Cromwell

$322 16%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 20.8% $67

Eating Out

Cromwell

$252 12.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 19.6% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cromwell

$192 9.5%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 28.6% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Cromwell

$144 7.2%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 22.4% $32

Getting Around

Cromwell

$113 5.6%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 55.5% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Cromwell

$56 2.8%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 20% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Cromwell and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $63 in Cromwell vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Cromwell

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:43 6:43 PM

00:43 12:43 AM

18 h behind Cromwell

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

149,923

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cromwell Playa del Carmen 12,670 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Cromwell
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Cromwell is about 4.1 times higher, 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: $1,013 in Cromwell versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Cromwell. 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 $43 versus $63 in Cromwell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,011 in Cromwell, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cromwell. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Cromwell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.