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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,092 per month in Croydon vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,176 per month in Croydon vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,261 per month in Croydon vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Croydon costs about 140% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Croydon sits 131% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 £11.98

$11.94 MX$208

35.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 £49.39

$42.75 MX$744

56.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.38 £6.94

$10.59 MX$184

-11.43%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.54

$3.62 MX$63.0

32.04%

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

$2.33 £1.72

$1.47 MX$25.54

58.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.98

$0.94 MX$16.41

40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 £5.06

$3.09 MX$53.8

121.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 £3.92

$4.46 MX$77.6

18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.43 MX$24.80

30.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.88 MX$32.79

-18.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 £2.01

$1.63 MX$28.34

66.87%

Eggs

$3.63 £2.68

$2.64 MX$45.99

37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.63 £5.65

$8.21 MX$143

-7.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 £5.89

$8.29 MX$144

-3.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 £10.86

$11.10 MX$193

32.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 £1.80

$2.65 MX$46.14

-7.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.50 MX$26.11

-14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.28

$1.99 MX$34.59

54.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 £1.39

$2.08 MX$36.13

-9.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.79 MX$31.11

-26.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 £0.92

$2.18 MX$37.87

-43.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.08 MX$18.73

39.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.04 MX$18.04

44.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.56 £15.22

$3.97 MX$69.1

417.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.73 £7.20

$10.20 MX$178

-4.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 £1.78

$1.73 MX$30.04

38.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.35

$2.50 MX$43.46

27.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 £1.81

$0.52 MX$9.02

371.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 £90.8

$26.97 MX$469

355.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.59 £4.88

$3.14 MX$54.7

109.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 £1.60

$2.40 MX$41.80

-9.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 £40.95

$3.09 MX$53.7

1690.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$1.27 MX$22.16

55.12%

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

$38.3K £28.4K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

24.08%

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

$41.4K £30.6K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

77.56%

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

$365 £270

$82.0 MX$1,427

344.80%

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

$16.46 £12.18

$22.45 MX$391

-26.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.90 £33.23

$29.66 MX$516

51.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.93 £25.85

$51.9 MX$903

-32.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.67 £10.11

$18.67 MX$325

-26.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 £8.41

$4.97 MX$86.5

128.57%

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

$1,624 £1,202

$198 MX$3,442

720.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K £13.7K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

251.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 £54.4

$36.34 MX$632

102.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 £37.39

$40.05 MX$697

26.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 £62.2

$79.9 MX$1,390

5.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 £118

$88.9 MX$1,547

79.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 £1,475

$963 MX$16.8K

106.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 £1,227

$465 MX$8,086

256.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,739 £2,027

$1,596 MX$27.8K

71.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 £1,811

$1,209 MX$21.0K

102.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,960 £6,630

$3,942 MX$68.6K

127.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,007 £5,185

$6,448 MX$112.2K

8.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,480 £3,315

$720 MX$12.5K

521.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

11.42

-46.76%

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

Last update for Croydon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,993 in Croydon versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 522% higher in Croydon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Croydon versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $251 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Croydon is pricier by about 140%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,638 per month in Croydon and $1,930 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,092 in Croydon and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 355% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,287, than in Croydon at $3,092. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Croydon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Croydon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.