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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,904 in Cromwell versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,826 in Cromwell versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,748 in Cromwell versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Cromwell is roughly 50% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cromwell is 39% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.63 NZ$25.58

$11.60 MX$200

26.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.9 NZ$112

$47.11 MX$812

35.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 NZ$20.02

$11.88 MX$205

-3.62%

Cappuccino

$3.44 NZ$6.02

$3.98 MX$68.6

-13.57%

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

$2.13 NZ$3.72

$1.43 MX$24.60

48.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 NZ$3.68

$0.82 MX$14.22

156.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 NZ$12.45

$3.19 MX$55.0

123.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 NZ$10.82

$6.79 MX$117

-8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 NZ$3.89

$1.68 MX$28.89

32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 NZ$3.46

$2.20 MX$37.88

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 NZ$3.02

$1.71 MX$29.45

1.17%

Eggs

$5.87 NZ$10.27

$2.74 MX$47.26

114.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 NZ$14.67

$9.58 MX$165

-12.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 NZ$16.49

$9.01 MX$155

4.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.69 NZ$29.18

$12.81 MX$221

30.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 NZ$5.43

$2.89 MX$49.81

7.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 NZ$4.12

$1.50 MX$25.81

56.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 NZ$5.77

$2.15 MX$37.03

53.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.30 NZ$9.26

$2.26 MX$38.96

134.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 NZ$3.39

$1.98 MX$34.15

-2.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 NZ$3.17

$1.99 MX$34.30

-8.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 NZ$4.10

$1.23 MX$21.28

90.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 NZ$1.08

$1.20 MX$20.63

-48.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.54 NZ$37.65

$4.55 MX$78.5

373.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.97 NZ$15.69

$10.37 MX$179

-13.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NZ$5.61

$1.62 MX$27.91

98.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 NZ$2.25

$2.88 MX$49.67

-55.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 NZ$3.47

$0.60 MX$10.35

231.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 NZ$141

$28.80 MX$497

180.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 NZ$4.06

$5.39 MX$92.9

-56.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 NZ$2.84

$3.73 MX$64.3

-56.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.30 NZ$49.48

$5.77 MX$99.5

390.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 NZ$3.06

$1.54 MX$26.48

13.64%

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

$26.5K NZ$46.3K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

17.43%

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

$25.8K NZ$45.0K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-1.13%

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

$113 NZ$197

$91.4 MX$1,576

23.42%

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

$29.78 NZ$52.1

$25.20 MX$435

18.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.2 NZ$93.0

$31.24 MX$539

70.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.40 NZ$70.6

$67.2 MX$1,159

-39.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.73 NZ$11.77

$29.11 MX$502

-76.88%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 NZ$15.54

$4.86 MX$83.8

82.92%

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

$828 NZ$1,447

$224 MX$3,856

270.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K NZ$21.8K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

195.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 NZ$104

$47.10 MX$812

26.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.45 NZ$62.0

$44.29 MX$764

-19.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 NZ$166

$80.1 MX$1,381

18.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 NZ$245

$92.7 MX$1,598

51.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$932 NZ$1,629

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-12.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 NZ$1,512

$390 MX$6,728

121.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,686 NZ$2,947

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-21.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 NZ$2,362

$1,272 MX$21.9K

6.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,999 NZ$8,739

$4,001 MX$69.0K

24.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,434 NZ$6,003

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-47.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,087 NZ$5,397

$758 MX$13.1K

307.22%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $932 in Cromwell and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cromwell pays 307% 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: $64.0 in Cromwell vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 307% higher in Cromwell, 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: $932 in Cromwell versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% 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 $47.00 versus $64.0 in Cromwell. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,904 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.

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

Safety-wise, Cromwell 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 50% less than in Cromwell. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.