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: $2,709 in Derry versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,335 in Derry versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,961 in Derry versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Derry is roughly 109% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Derry is 97% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.49 €18.53

$11.71 MX$199

83.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 €46.33

$46.59 MX$792

15.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.57 €8.26

$11.65 MX$198

-17.85%

Cappuccino

$4.65 €4.01

$4.09 MX$69.6

13.69%

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

$1.78 €1.54

$1.37 MX$23.35

29.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.83 MX$14.17

109.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.37 €4.63

$3.35 MX$57.0

60.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 €5.71

$6.91 MX$117

-4.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.73 MX$29.35

-11.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.39

$2.26 MX$38.41

-28.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$1.77 MX$30.07

18.64%

Eggs

$3.54 €3.06

$2.73 MX$46.43

29.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 €12.12

$9.18 MX$156

53.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 €8.93

$8.92 MX$152

16.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 €12.21

$12.60 MX$214

12.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 €2.64

$3.02 MX$51.3

1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.57 MX$26.69

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.14 €2.71

$2.13 MX$36.12

47.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 €3.74

$2.26 MX$38.48

91.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 €0.91

$2.00 MX$34.05

-47.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.06 MX$35.08

-28.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.18 MX$20.05

-6.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.20 MX$20.46

61.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.18 €18.27

$4.63 MX$78.8

357.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 €9.33

$10.69 MX$182

1.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 €2.02

$1.62 MX$27.52

45.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.40

$2.88 MX$48.96

-3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.51 €2.16

$0.57 MX$9.74

340.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 €93.0

$29.83 MX$507

261.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 €4.63

$5.45 MX$92.6

-1.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.70 MX$63.0

-59.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$57.3 €49.45

$5.98 MX$102

858.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$1.55 MX$26.40

34.19%

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

$40.0K €34.5K

$22.3K MX$379.4K

79.12%

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

$37.8K €32.6K

$25.9K MX$441.0K

45.64%

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

$249 €215

$89.1 MX$1,515

179.46%

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

$23.77 €20.50

$25.04 MX$426

-5.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 €45.65

$31.50 MX$535

68.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.18 €32.07

$67.8 MX$1,152

-45.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.74 €23.06

$28.92 MX$491

-7.54%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 €11.84

$5.05 MX$85.8

171.88%

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

$1,267 €1,093

$225 MX$3,823

463.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,949 €5,131

$4,222 MX$71.8K

40.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.3

$47.44 MX$806

118.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.57 €42.75

$44.98 MX$764

10.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$82.0 MX$1,393

23.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 €63.6

$92.1 MX$1,565

-19.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 €1,393

$1,069 MX$18.2K

51.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 €1,206

$405 MX$6,888

244.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 €1,208

$1,935 MX$32.9K

-27.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 €988

$1,301 MX$22.1K

-11.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,405 €2,075

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-39.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,772 €1,528

$6,626 MX$112.6K

-73.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,769 €2,389

$749 MX$12.7K

269.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

11.45

-67.86%

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

Last update for Derry: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,615 in Derry and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Derry pays 270% 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: $54.0 in Derry vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $277 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 109% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 270% 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: $1,615 in Derry versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,267 in Derry versus $225 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 17% higher in Derry. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,709 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 109% less than in Derry. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.