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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,071 in Durham versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,033 in Durham versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,995 in Durham versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Durham is roughly 64% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durham is 56% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.30 £14.44

$11.72 MX$204

64.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.7 £71.6

$41.89 MX$731

128.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 £7.65

$10.51 MX$183

-2.66%

Cappuccino

$4.40 £3.29

$3.59 MX$62.5

22.56%

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

$2.47 £1.84

$1.51 MX$26.31

63.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$0.92 MX$15.96

118.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 £4.67

$2.96 MX$51.6

110.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 £4.17

$4.41 MX$76.9

26.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.34

$1.40 MX$24.35

27.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.28

$1.88 MX$32.87

-9.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.45 £1.83

$1.56 MX$27.19

57.05%

Eggs

$4.12 £3.08

$2.61 MX$45.50

57.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 £6.94

$8.32 MX$145

11.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 £6.24

$8.35 MX$146

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.63 £7.20

$10.86 MX$189

-11.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 £2.76

$2.71 MX$47.31

36.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 £1.70

$1.51 MX$26.25

50.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 £2.50

$1.87 MX$32.67

78.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 £2.61

$2.19 MX$38.19

59.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 £0.86

$1.86 MX$32.40

-38.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 £1.17

$2.23 MX$38.90

-30.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.74

$1.07 MX$18.63

-7.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.30

$1.09 MX$18.94

58.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.90 £17.13

$4.19 MX$73.0

446.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 £8.10

$10.43 MX$182

3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.33

$1.66 MX$28.91

87.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 £2.24

$2.61 MX$45.56

14.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.31 £2.48

$0.54 MX$9.45

512.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.9 £41.06

$26.16 MX$456

109.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 £3.65

$3.08 MX$53.7

58.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 £1.15

$2.40 MX$41.94

-35.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.07 £17.26

$3.13 MX$54.5

637.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.49

$1.31 MX$22.87

52.67%

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

$36.6K £27.4K

$29.8K MX$519.9K

22.75%

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

$38.7K £29.0K

$23.3K MX$406.8K

65.94%

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

$273 £204

$81.3 MX$1,418

235.86%

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

$15.76 £11.79

$22.56 MX$393

-30.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 £25.92

$30.05 MX$524

15.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.74 £37.21

$52.9 MX$923

-5.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$12.87 £9.63

$4.92 MX$85.8

161.59%

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

$1,578 £1,180

$201 MX$3,502

685.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K £13.9K

$5,175 MX$90.2K

259.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 £79.5

$35.92 MX$627

195.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.9 £44.83

$40.13 MX$700

49.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 £93.3

$79.7 MX$1,390

56.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 £66.3

$86.5 MX$1,508

2.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 £1,106

$978 MX$17.1K

51.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 £614

$470 MX$8,206

74.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 £1,922

$1,651 MX$28.8K

55.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 £938

$1,203 MX$21.0K

4.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,054 £3,781

$3,953 MX$69.0K

27.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,841 £2,874

$6,607 MX$115.2K

-41.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,061 £1,542

$677 MX$11.8K

204.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

11.42

-52.28%

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

Last update for Durham: July 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,478 in Durham and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 205% 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: $96.0 in Durham vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $252 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

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

Durham and Playa del Carmen differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,071 vs $1,260 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 205% higher in Durham, 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: $1,478 in Durham versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,071 per month in Durham versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 110% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,071 in Durham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Durham. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Durham 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 64% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.