Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ealing and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $3,144 in Ealing, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ealing
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,144
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ealing and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ealing and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,144 per month in Ealing vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ealing $3,144
  • Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $4,668 per month in Ealing vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ealing $4,668
  • Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $6,192 per month in Ealing vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Ealing $6,192
  • Playa del Carmen $3,016

Ealing costs about 160% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ealing sits 133% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ealing
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.88 £18.67
$10.76 MX$199
131.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.9 £70.4
$43.03 MX$795
118.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 £7.11
$11.79 MX$218
-19.68%
Cappuccino
$4.67 £3.51
$3.87 MX$71.4
20.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 £2.37
$1.37 MX$25.29
130.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 £1.32
$0.84 MX$15.44
108.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.89 £5.92
$3.10 MX$57.3
154.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.97 £4.48
$5.07 MX$93.6
17.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ealing
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 £1.11
$1.44 MX$26.55
2.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.67 £1.26
$2.23 MX$41.23
-25.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 £1.45
$1.47 MX$27.17
31.29%
Eggs
$4.13 £3.10
$2.53 MX$46.71
63.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.60 £6.45
$7.30 MX$135
17.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.97 £6.73
$7.86 MX$145
14.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.48 £12.36
$12.79 MX$236
28.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 £2.35
$2.90 MX$53.6
8.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 £1.07
$1.44 MX$26.53
-0.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.93 £1.45
$2.55 MX$47.07
-24.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.55 £2.66
$2.06 MX$38.03
72.33%
Potato (1kg)
$1.37 £1.03
$2.00 MX$36.97
-31.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 £1.30
$2.01 MX$37.07
-13.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 £1.00
$1.19 MX$22.02
11.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.26 MX$23.23
34.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.03 £17.28
$4.40 MX$81.4
423.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.86 £8.15
$9.59 MX$177
13.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.67 £2.00
$1.59 MX$29.41
67.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 £2.29
$2.81 MX$51.9
8.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Ealing
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.98 £3.74
$0.57 MX$10.47
773.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.3 £73.0
$27.82 MX$514
249.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.06 £3.80
$4.98 MX$92.1
1.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.22 £2.42
$3.50 MX$64.6
-8.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.66 £31.25
$5.40 MX$99.8
671.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.95 £1.46
$1.47 MX$27.08
32.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.1K £28.6K
$21.0K MX$387.8K
81.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K £29.9K
$23.9K MX$441.8K
66.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ealing
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$288 £216
$84.2 MX$1,556
241.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.68 £11.76
$23.99 MX$443
-34.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.18 £26.39
$29.02 MX$536
21.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ealing
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.18 £33.89
$63.0 MX$1,164
-28.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.15 £6.11
$29.14 MX$539
-72.03%
Cinema Ticket
$17.16 £12.88
$4.94 MX$91.3
247.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ealing
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,306 £1,730
$204 MX$3,763
1032.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K £9,893
$3,941 MX$72.8K
234.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ealing
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.3 £71.5
$43.60 MX$806
118.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.96 £24.73
$43.12 MX$797
-23.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 £76.5
$75.8 MX$1,400
34.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 £77.1
$88.6 MX$1,637
16.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ealing
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,193 £1,646
$1,008 MX$18.6K
117.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,783 £1,338
$374 MX$6,911
376.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,900 £2,926
$1,708 MX$31.6K
128.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,167 £2,376
$1,106 MX$20.4K
186.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,980 £3,736
$3,944 MX$72.9K
26.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,870 £2,903
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-37.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ealing
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,809 £2,858
$754 MX$13.9K
405.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.4
11.45
-52.84%

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

Last update for Ealing: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ealing
$1.8K
Playa del Carmen
$374 79% $1.4K
Eating Out
Ealing
$355
Playa del Carmen
$202 43% $152
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ealing
$339
Playa del Carmen
$137 59.5% $201
Groceries & Markets
Ealing
$300
Playa del Carmen
$258 13.8% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Ealing
$150
Playa del Carmen
$113 24.6% $37
Getting Around
Ealing
$138
Playa del Carmen
$53 62% $86
Sport & Entertainment
Ealing
$80
Playa del Carmen
$73 8.4% $6.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,193 in Ealing versus $1,008 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 405% higher in Ealing, 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 $94.0 in Ealing versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Ealing
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
03:08 3:08 AM
21:08 9:08 PM
6 h behind Ealing
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
113,777
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ealing Playa del Carmen 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ealing
  • Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Ealing vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Ealing?
Yes – Ealing is pricier by about 160%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,716 per month in Ealing and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 250% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,306 per month in Ealing and $204 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ealing or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Ealing at $3,144. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ealing it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ealing or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Ealing or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ealing makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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