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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,508 in Farnborough versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,737 in Farnborough versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,965 in Farnborough versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Farnborough is roughly 100% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Farnborough is 88% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 £15.14

$11.99 MX$209

69.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.6 £57.8

$41.78 MX$728

85.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 £6.59

$10.75 MX$187

-17.58%

Cappuccino

$4.98 £3.71

$3.50 MX$60.9

42.29%

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

$2.67 £1.99

$1.45 MX$25.22

84.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.42

$0.88 MX$15.41

117.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 £5.15

$2.95 MX$51.3

134.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 £5.17

$4.51 MX$78.6

54.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.43 MX$24.94

1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 £1.03

$1.84 MX$31.99

-24.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 £2.75

$1.57 MX$27.31

135.67%

Eggs

$5.34 £3.98

$2.51 MX$43.74

112.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 £6.49

$8.28 MX$144

5.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 £6.89

$8.43 MX$147

9.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 £10.82

$10.68 MX$186

36.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.44 £1.08

$2.61 MX$45.43

-44.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.44 MX$25.04

9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 £1.79

$1.96 MX$34.16

22.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 £2.40

$2.09 MX$36.47

54.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$1.85 MX$32.24

-1.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 £0.90

$2.17 MX$37.74

-44.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 £0.70

$1.03 MX$17.96

-9.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 £0.54

$1.07 MX$18.70

-32.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.35 £12.92

$4.10 MX$71.4

323.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 £8.13

$10.17 MX$177

7.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 £2.36

$1.68 MX$29.17

88.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 £2.55

$2.53 MX$43.98

35.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.97

$0.51 MX$8.87

419.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.6 £65.2

$26.04 MX$453

236.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 £2.29

$3.23 MX$56.3

-4.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 £1.40

$2.41 MX$41.88

-22.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.36 £9.20

$3.23 MX$56.2

282.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.32 MX$23.00

44.70%

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

$37.7K £28.1K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

26.90%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

59.76%

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

$135 £100

$82.0 MX$1,428

64.47%

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

$16.29 £12.13

$22.95 MX$400

-29.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.42 £30.84

$30.11 MX$524

37.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.4 £44.22

$52.0 MX$905

14.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.04 £17.90

$18.53 MX$323

29.74%

Cinema Ticket

$8.03 £5.98

$4.98 MX$86.6

61.24%

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

$1,529 £1,138

$197 MX$3,438

674.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K £13.9K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

248.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$115 £85.7

$35.60 MX$620

223.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.9 £40.12

$40.33 MX$702

33.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £87.3

$78.8 MX$1,371

48.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 £109

$88.9 MX$1,549

64.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,692 £1,259

$947 MX$16.5K

78.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,319 £982

$474 MX$8,254

178.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,408 £1,793

$1,644 MX$28.6K

46.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,175 £1,619

$1,211 MX$21.1K

79.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,094 £3,048

$654 MX$11.4K

526.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

11.42

-50.79%

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

Last update for Farnborough: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,692 in Farnborough and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farnborough pays 526% 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: $78.0 in Farnborough vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $249 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

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

Farnborough and Playa del Carmen differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($2,508 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 526% higher in Farnborough, 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: $1,692 in Farnborough versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $78.0 in Farnborough. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,508 per month in Farnborough versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,508 in Farnborough, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Farnborough. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Farnborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.