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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,361 in Harrogate versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,449 in Harrogate versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,536 in Harrogate versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Harrogate is roughly 83% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harrogate is 72% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.79 £16.12

$11.71 MX$198

86.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.2 £60.8

$46.59 MX$786

76.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £7.92

$11.65 MX$197

-8.07%

Cappuccino

$4.17 £3.09

$4.09 MX$69.1

1.96%

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

$2.67 £1.97

$1.37 MX$23.20

94.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 £1.31

$0.83 MX$14.07

113.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.79 £5.02

$3.35 MX$56.6

102.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 £4.62

$6.91 MX$117

-9.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 £1.09

$1.73 MX$29.15

-14.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.58 £1.17

$2.26 MX$38.15

-30.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 £1.51

$1.77 MX$29.86

15.25%

Eggs

$3.96 £2.93

$2.73 MX$46.12

45.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.99 £5.91

$9.18 MX$155

-12.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.27 £6.86

$8.92 MX$151

3.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.28 £12.05

$12.60 MX$213

29.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 £2.38

$3.02 MX$51.0

6.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 £1.16

$1.57 MX$26.51

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 £2.13

$2.13 MX$35.88

35.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 £2.85

$2.26 MX$38.22

70.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$2.00 MX$33.82

-22.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.17

$2.06 MX$34.85

-22.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.86

$1.18 MX$19.91

-1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.20 MX$20.32

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.49 £18.12

$4.63 MX$78.2

428.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £7.87

$10.69 MX$180

-0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.97 £2.94

$1.62 MX$27.33

145.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 £2.70

$2.88 MX$48.63

26.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.05 £3.00

$0.57 MX$9.68

610.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.83 £24.29

$29.83 MX$503

10.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 £3.46

$5.45 MX$91.9

-14.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 £1.62

$3.70 MX$62.5

-40.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.36 £15.80

$5.98 MX$101

257.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.39

$1.55 MX$26.22

21.29%

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

$38.9K £28.8K

$22.3K MX$376.8K

74.35%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

58.71%

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

$307 £227

$89.1 MX$1,504

244.40%

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

$16.79 £12.42

$25.04 MX$423

-32.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.50 £31.44

$31.50 MX$532

34.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$82.8 £61.3

$67.8 MX$1,144

22.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.70 £10.13

$28.92 MX$488

-52.63%

Cinema Ticket

$16.33 £12.08

$5.05 MX$85.2

223.37%

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

$1,296 £959

$225 MX$3,797

476.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K £12.1K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

288.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.4 £68.3

$47.44 MX$801

94.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 £40.87

$44.98 MX$759

22.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 £85.1

$82.0 MX$1,384

40.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 £80.1

$92.1 MX$1,555

17.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 £938

$1,069 MX$18.0K

18.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 £760

$405 MX$6,842

153.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 £1,392

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-2.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 £1,169

$1,301 MX$22.0K

21.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,704 £4,220

$3,995 MX$67.4K

42.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,907 £2,890

$749 MX$12.6K

421.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.12

11.45

-55.28%

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

Last update for Harrogate: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,267 in Harrogate and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harrogate pays 422% 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: $82.0 in Harrogate vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 422% higher in Harrogate, 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: $1,267 in Harrogate versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Harrogate. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $82.0 in Harrogate. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,361 in Harrogate, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Harrogate. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Harrogate, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Harrogate 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 83% less than in Harrogate. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.