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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,888 in Elgin versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,920 in Elgin versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,952 in Elgin versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Elgin is roughly 46% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elgin is 37% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.78 £16.85

$11.71 MX$198

94.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 £49.95

$46.59 MX$787

44.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.18 £7.53

$11.65 MX$197

-12.62%

Cappuccino

$4.51 £3.33

$4.09 MX$69.1

10.27%

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

$2.10 £1.55

$1.37 MX$23.21

53.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.98

$0.83 MX$14.08

60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 £3.33

$3.35 MX$56.6

34.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 £4.51

$6.91 MX$117

-11.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.73 MX$29.16

0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 £1.07

$2.26 MX$38.17

-36.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 £1.56

$1.77 MX$29.88

19.21%

Eggs

$3.74 £2.77

$2.73 MX$46.14

37.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 £7.04

$9.18 MX$155

3.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.68 £7.16

$8.92 MX$151

8.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 £13.77

$12.60 MX$213

47.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 £2.11

$3.02 MX$51.0

-5.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.57 MX$26.52

3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 £2.05

$2.13 MX$35.89

30.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 £2.29

$2.26 MX$38.23

37.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 £1.39

$2.00 MX$33.84

-6.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 £1.19

$2.06 MX$34.86

-21.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.18 MX$19.92

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 £1.25

$1.20 MX$20.33

41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.02 £17.77

$4.63 MX$78.3

418.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 £8.42

$10.69 MX$180

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 £2.46

$1.62 MX$27.35

104.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.43

$2.88 MX$48.65

14.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.63 £2.69

$0.57 MX$9.68

536.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$128 £95.0

$29.83 MX$504

330.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 £4.41

$5.45 MX$92.0

9.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 £0.91

$3.70 MX$62.6

-67.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.29 £17.97

$5.98 MX$101

306.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 £1.56

$1.55 MX$26.23

36.13%

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

$40.1K £29.7K

$22.3K MX$377.0K

79.51%

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

$42.5K £31.4K

$25.9K MX$438.2K

63.71%

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

$212 £157

$89.1 MX$1,505

137.80%

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

$18.51 £13.70

$25.04 MX$423

-26.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.59 £30.77

$31.50 MX$532

32.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.39 £28.40

$67.8 MX$1,145

-43.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.32 £3.94

$28.92 MX$488

-81.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.75 £8.70

$5.05 MX$85.3

132.67%

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

$959 £709

$225 MX$3,798

326.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.8K £16.1K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

416.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.88 £27.29

$47.44 MX$801

-22.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.88 £35.42

$44.98 MX$759

6.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.5

$82.0 MX$1,384

26.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 £68.9

$92.1 MX$1,555

1.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$935 £692

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-12.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$602 £445

$405 MX$6,844

48.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,846 £1,366

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-4.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 £900

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-6.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,261 £3,892

$3,995 MX$67.5K

31.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,903 £2,887

$6,626 MX$111.9K

-41.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,034 £1,505

$749 MX$12.6K

171.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

11.45

-58.43%

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

Last update for Elgin: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $935 in Elgin and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elgin pays 172% 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: $68.0 in Elgin vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 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

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

Elgin and Playa del Carmen differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($1,888 vs $1,293 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 172% higher in Elgin, 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: $935 in Elgin versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 330% less than in Elgin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $959 in Elgin versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,888 in Elgin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Elgin. 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, Elgin 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 46% less than in Elgin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.