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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,106 per month in Dartford vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,360 per month in Dartford vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,614 per month in Dartford vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Dartford costs about 145% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Dartford sits 127% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.40 £19.02

$11.60 MX$199

118.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £81.1

$47.11 MX$809

129.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 £8.00

$11.88 MX$204

-10.10%

Cappuccino

$5.18 £3.88

$3.98 MX$68.2

30.15%

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

$2.96 £2.21

$1.43 MX$24.49

106.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 £1.63

$0.82 MX$14.16

165.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.97 £6.71

$3.19 MX$54.7

181.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.55 £6.40

$6.79 MX$117

25.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.68 MX$28.76

13.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 £1.47

$2.20 MX$37.71

-10.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 £1.82

$1.71 MX$29.32

42.11%

Eggs

$4.69 £3.51

$2.74 MX$47.05

71.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 £9.18

$9.58 MX$164

27.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.14 £7.59

$9.01 MX$155

12.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.01 £11.99

$12.81 MX$220

24.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 £2.38

$2.89 MX$49.58

10.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 £1.44

$1.50 MX$25.70

28.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 £2.18

$2.15 MX$36.87

35.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.50 £2.62

$2.26 MX$38.79

54.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.98 MX$34.00

-17.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 £1.39

$1.99 MX$34.15

-7.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.88

$1.23 MX$21.18

-4.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.20 MX$20.54

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.39 £18.26

$4.55 MX$78.1

436.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.08 £8.29

$10.37 MX$178

6.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 £2.27

$1.62 MX$27.79

87.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 £2.40

$2.88 MX$49.44

11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.87 £2.15

$0.60 MX$10.30

378.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.21 £3.90

$5.39 MX$92.5

-3.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 £1.99

$3.73 MX$64.0

-28.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.43 £30.27

$5.77 MX$99.0

600.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.50

$1.54 MX$26.37

29.87%

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

$39.7K £29.7K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

75.88%

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

$41.5K £31.1K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

59.31%

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

$288 £215

$91.4 MX$1,569

214.80%

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

$17.28 £12.94

$25.20 MX$433

-31.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.62 £31.91

$31.24 MX$536

36.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.39 £33.98

$67.2 MX$1,154

-32.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$18.36 £13.75

$4.86 MX$83.5

277.78%

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

$2,123 £1,589

$224 MX$3,839

849.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.2K £23.4K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

638.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 £69.7

$47.10 MX$808

97.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.41 £34.00

$44.29 MX$760

2.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 £78.9

$80.1 MX$1,375

31.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 £69.4

$92.7 MX$1,591

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,291 £1,715

$1,063 MX$18.2K

115.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 £1,332

$390 MX$6,698

356.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,974 £2,226

$2,149 MX$36.9K

38.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 £2,018

$1,272 MX$21.8K

111.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,337 £3,996

$4,001 MX$68.7K

33.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,369 £3,271

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-32.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,485 £3,358

$758 MX$13.0K

491.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.67

11.45

-59.21%

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

Last update for Dartford: September 15, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,291 in Dartford versus $1,063 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 492% higher in Dartford, 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 $108 in Dartford versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $276 – 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

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

Yes – Dartford is pricier by about 145%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,660 per month in Dartford and $1,899 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $108 in Dartford and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Dartford, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Dartford at $3,106. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dartford 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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