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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,195 per month in Folkestone vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,372 per month in Folkestone vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,549 per month in Folkestone vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Folkestone costs about 69% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Folkestone sits 64% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.60 £16.09

$11.73 MX$203

84.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 £51.1

$41.62 MX$721

64.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 £8.05

$10.64 MX$184

1.50%

Cappuccino

$4.82 £3.59

$3.52 MX$61.0

36.93%

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

$2.89 £2.15

$1.51 MX$26.17

91.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.53

$0.97 MX$16.87

112.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 £5.91

$2.95 MX$51.1

168.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 £5.02

$4.45 MX$77.2

51.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.28

$1.38 MX$23.97

23.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.89 MX$32.78

-23.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 £1.03

$1.64 MX$28.37

-15.85%

Eggs

$3.78 £2.82

$2.51 MX$43.42

50.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 £9.36

$8.34 MX$145

50.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.26 £7.64

$8.34 MX$145

23.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.15 £13.52

$10.73 MX$186

69.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 £2.49

$2.60 MX$45.12

28.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.46 MX$25.25

34.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 £2.80

$1.90 MX$32.94

97.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 £2.74

$2.08 MX$35.98

76.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.78 MX$30.77

6.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$2.19 MX$37.87

-5.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.04 MX$18.02

34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.08 MX$18.66

37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.21 £15.05

$4.08 MX$70.7

395.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 £8.47

$10.32 MX$179

10.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 £2.59

$1.71 MX$29.67

103.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 £3.14

$2.58 MX$44.63

63.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 £1.97

$0.51 MX$8.83

419.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.05 £25.36

$26.46 MX$459

28.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.35 £1.00

$3.26 MX$56.5

-58.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 £1.07

$2.49 MX$43.17

-42.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.09 £29.86

$3.25 MX$56.3

1133.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.31 MX$22.65

51.91%

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

$37.9K £28.3K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

25.27%

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

$44.7K £33.3K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

90.67%

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

$336 £251

$82.9 MX$1,436

305.94%

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

$16.07 £11.97

$22.22 MX$385

-27.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.42 £29.36

$29.34 MX$508

34.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.1 £66.4

$51.6 MX$895

72.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.14 £7.55

$18.32 MX$317

-44.65%

Cinema Ticket

$16.46 £12.26

$5.07 MX$87.8

224.65%

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

$2,277 £1,696

$201 MX$3,480

1034.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K £17.3K

$5,212 MX$90.3K

346.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.1 £65.6

$36.92 MX$640

138.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 £41.48

$39.79 MX$689

39.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 £60.9

$78.5 MX$1,360

4.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 £90.5

$87.1 MX$1,509

39.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,143 £851

$973 MX$16.9K

17.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$812 £605

$468 MX$8,105

73.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,498 £1,116

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-8.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 £1,213

$1,221 MX$21.2K

33.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,464 £2,580

$3,946 MX$68.4K

-12.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,445 £2,566

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-46.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,180 £1,624

$664 MX$11.5K

228.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

11.42

-51.49%

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

Last update for Folkestone: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,143 in Folkestone versus $973 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 228% higher in Folkestone, 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 $69.0 in Folkestone versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $339 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,195 in Folkestone, $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 69% apart. Folkestone costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,293 per month in Folkestone and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Folkestone and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,195 in Folkestone and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Folkestone at $2,195. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Folkestone it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,297 in Playa del Carmen to $2,195 in Folkestone. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Folkestone makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.