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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,868 in Derry versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,671 in Derry versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,474 in Derry versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Derry is roughly 49% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Derry is 40% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.81 €12.06

$11.99 MX$210

15.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €53.5

$41.78 MX$731

46.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 €7.00

$10.75 MX$188

-25.49%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.77

$3.50 MX$61.1

23.14%

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

$2.12 €1.85

$1.45 MX$25.33

46.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 €1.40

$0.88 MX$15.47

81.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 €4.62

$2.95 MX$51.6

79.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 €4.82

$4.51 MX$78.9

22.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.43 MX$25.04

5.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.34

$1.84 MX$32.13

-16.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.88

$1.57 MX$27.42

36.94%

Eggs

$3.69 €3.22

$2.51 MX$43.92

47.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 €11.01

$8.28 MX$145

52.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.18 €8.90

$8.43 MX$147

20.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 €10.57

$10.68 MX$187

13.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 €2.53

$2.61 MX$45.62

11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 €1.44

$1.44 MX$25.15

14.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$1.96 MX$34.31

40.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 €3.08

$2.09 MX$36.62

68.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.85 MX$32.37

-42.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.28

$2.17 MX$37.90

-32.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.03 MX$18.04

1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.44

$1.07 MX$18.78

53.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.04 €14.01

$4.10 MX$71.7

291.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 €9.17

$10.17 MX$178

3.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 €2.04

$1.68 MX$29.29

39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.38

$2.53 MX$44.17

7.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 €2.15

$0.51 MX$8.90

384.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.8 €84.5

$26.04 MX$455

271.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 €4.28

$3.23 MX$56.5

51.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 €1.20

$2.41 MX$42.06

-42.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.07 €38.50

$3.23 MX$56.5

1264.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.32 MX$23.10

57.58%

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

$42.3K €37.0K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

42.55%

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

$38.3K €33.5K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

61.84%

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

$215 €188

$82.0 MX$1,434

162.65%

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

$21.28 €18.59

$22.95 MX$401

-7.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 €49.04

$30.11 MX$527

86.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.45 €29.22

$52.0 MX$909

-35.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.03 €23.62

$18.53 MX$324

45.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.97 €9.58

$4.98 MX$87.0

120.28%

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

$1,047 €915

$197 MX$3,452

430.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,094 €7,072

$5,336 MX$93.3K

51.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 €80.0

$35.60 MX$622

157.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.00 €34.95

$40.33 MX$705

-0.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.0

$78.8 MX$1,377

30.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.6 €66.1

$88.9 MX$1,555

-14.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$721 €630

$947 MX$16.6K

-23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$711 €621

$474 MX$8,288

49.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,089

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-24.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 €929

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-12.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,019 €3,511

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-0.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,747 €1,527

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-72.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,498 €2,183

$654 MX$11.4K

282.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

11.42

-63.40%

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

Last update for Derry: July 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $721 in Derry and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Derry pays 282% 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: $61.0 in Derry vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 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

Derry 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 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 282% higher in Derry, 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: $721 in Derry versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,047 in Derry versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Derry. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,868 in Derry, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Derry. 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 Derry, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Derry 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 49% less than in Derry. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.