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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,513 in Harlow versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,707 in Harlow versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,901 in Harlow versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Harlow is roughly 94% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harlow is 83% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.71 £16.06

$11.71 MX$198

85.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 £71.8

$46.59 MX$787

108.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 £7.94

$11.65 MX$197

-7.90%

Cappuccino

$5.91 £4.37

$4.09 MX$69.1

44.50%

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

$2.73 £2.02

$1.37 MX$23.21

99.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.83 MX$14.08

121.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.00 £5.18

$3.35 MX$56.6

108.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 £5.17

$6.91 MX$117

1.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.73 MX$29.16

-23.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 £1.00

$2.26 MX$38.17

-40.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.77 MX$29.88

-33.90%

Eggs

$2.38 £1.76

$2.73 MX$46.14

-12.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 £5.02

$9.18 MX$155

-26.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.37 £4.71

$8.92 MX$151

-28.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 £4.96

$12.60 MX$213

-46.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 £1.54

$3.02 MX$51.0

-30.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.57 MX$26.52

-21.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 £0.84

$2.13 MX$35.89

-46.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 £1.49

$2.26 MX$38.23

-10.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 £1.21

$2.00 MX$33.84

-18.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$2.06 MX$34.86

-35.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 £1.01

$1.18 MX$19.92

16.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.12

$1.20 MX$20.33

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.92 £16.22

$4.63 MX$78.3

373.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.33 £6.90

$10.69 MX$180

-12.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.02

$1.62 MX$27.35

69.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 £1.49

$2.88 MX$48.65

-29.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 £2.58

$0.57 MX$9.68

512.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 £70.0

$29.83 MX$504

217.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 £4.56

$5.45 MX$92.0

13.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.23

$3.70 MX$62.6

-54.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.53 £15.93

$5.98 MX$101

260.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.55 MX$26.23

25.81%

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

$38.0K £28.1K

$22.3K MX$377.0K

70.25%

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

$42.0K £31.0K

$25.9K MX$438.2K

61.70%

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

$257 £190

$89.1 MX$1,505

188.25%

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

$12.25 £9.06

$25.04 MX$423

-51.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.99 £21.45

$31.50 MX$532

-7.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 £35.58

$67.8 MX$1,145

-29.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.37 £6.19

$28.92 MX$488

-71.06%

Cinema Ticket

$12.76 £9.44

$5.05 MX$85.3

152.67%

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

$1,102 £815

$225 MX$3,798

389.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K £15.1K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

383.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.8 £53.1

$47.44 MX$801

51.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.12 £23.02

$44.98 MX$759

-30.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 £59.1

$82.0 MX$1,384

-2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.85 £28.74

$92.1 MX$1,555

-57.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 £1,055

$1,069 MX$18.1K

33.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 £990

$405 MX$6,844

230.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,337 £1,729

$1,935 MX$32.7K

20.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,232 £1,652

$1,301 MX$22.0K

71.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,317 £3,934

$3,995 MX$67.5K

33.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,714 £2,748

$6,626 MX$111.9K

-43.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,037 £2,246

$749 MX$12.6K

305.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.91

11.45

-57.12%

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

Last update for Harlow: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,426 in Harlow and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harlow pays 306% 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 Harlow vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $213 vs $277, with Harlow cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Harlow and Playa del Carmen differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($2,513 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 306% higher in Harlow, 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: $1,426 in Harlow versus $1,069 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 $47.00 versus $97.0 in Harlow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,513 per month in Harlow versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,513 in Harlow, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Harlow. 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, Harlow 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 94% less than in Harlow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.