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: $2,033 in Durham versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,006 in Durham versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,980 in Durham versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Durham is roughly 58% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durham is 52% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.92 £14.02

$11.94 MX$209

58.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.8 £71.7

$42.75 MX$748

126.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 £7.42

$10.59 MX$185

-5.38%

Cappuccino

$4.37 £3.24

$3.62 MX$63.4

20.72%

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

$2.50 £1.85

$1.47 MX$25.69

70.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.43

$0.94 MX$16.51

105.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 £4.51

$3.09 MX$54.1

97.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 £3.98

$4.46 MX$78.0

20.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.43 MX$24.94

25.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.88 MX$32.97

-13.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 £1.86

$1.63 MX$28.50

53.99%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.96

$2.64 MX$46.26

51.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 £6.86

$8.21 MX$144

12.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 £6.09

$8.29 MX$145

-0.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 £7.10

$11.10 MX$194

-13.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 £2.71

$2.65 MX$46.40

38.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 £1.69

$1.50 MX$26.26

52.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 £2.39

$1.99 MX$34.79

62.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.53

$2.08 MX$36.33

64.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 £0.85

$1.79 MX$31.29

-35.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$2.18 MX$38.09

-27.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$1.08 MX$18.84

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.04 MX$18.15

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.65 £16.78

$3.97 MX$69.5

470.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 £8.18

$10.20 MX$179

8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 £2.29

$1.73 MX$30.22

78.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.21

$2.50 MX$43.71

19.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 £2.35

$0.52 MX$9.07

511.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.8 £41.34

$26.97 MX$472

106.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 £3.57

$3.14 MX$55.0

53.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 £1.16

$2.40 MX$42.04

-34.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.48 £17.40

$3.09 MX$54.0

659.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.27 MX$22.28

51.97%

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

$37.1K £27.5K

$30.9K MX$540.4K

20.21%

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

$39.8K £29.5K

$23.3K MX$408.0K

70.91%

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

$276 £204

$82.0 MX$1,435

236.35%

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

$15.57 £11.54

$22.45 MX$393

-30.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.37 £25.47

$29.66 MX$519

15.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 £37.25

$51.9 MX$908

-3.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 £9.58

$4.97 MX$87.0

159.96%

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

$1,615 £1,197

$198 MX$3,462

716.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.5K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

245.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 £75.7

$36.34 MX$636

180.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 £44.50

$40.05 MX$701

49.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £91.5

$79.9 MX$1,398

54.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 £66.1

$88.9 MX$1,555

0.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 £1,084

$963 MX$16.9K

51.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 £614

$465 MX$8,133

78.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,610 £1,934

$1,596 MX$27.9K

63.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 £941

$1,209 MX$21.2K

5.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,204 £3,856

$3,942 MX$69.0K

32.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,964 £2,938

$6,448 MX$112.8K

-38.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,090 £1,549

$720 MX$12.6K

190.13%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,463 in Durham and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 190% 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: $97.0 in Durham vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $251 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 58% in total monthly costs ($2,033 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Durham pays 190% more on average, 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: $1,463 in Durham versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,033 per month in Durham versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 58% 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 107% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,033 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 58% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.