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: $2,460 in Harrogate versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,541 in Harrogate versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,623 in Harrogate versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Harrogate is roughly 96% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Harrogate is 84% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.50 £15.26

$11.99 MX$209

70.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.5 £54.7

$41.78 MX$728

75.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 £7.85

$10.75 MX$187

-1.95%

Cappuccino

$4.66 £3.47

$3.50 MX$60.9

33.14%

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

$2.31 £1.72

$1.45 MX$25.22

59.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 £1.25

$0.88 MX$15.41

89.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.59 £4.90

$2.95 MX$51.3

123.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 £4.63

$4.51 MX$78.6

37.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.43 MX$24.94

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.84 MX$31.99

-5.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 £1.67

$1.57 MX$27.31

42.68%

Eggs

$3.87 £2.88

$2.51 MX$43.74

54.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 £5.94

$8.28 MX$144

-3.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 £7.11

$8.43 MX$147

13.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.54 £12.31

$10.68 MX$186

54.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 £2.45

$2.61 MX$45.43

25.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.44 MX$25.04

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.47 £1.84

$1.96 MX$34.16

26.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 £3.29

$2.09 MX$36.47

111.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 £1.15

$1.85 MX$32.24

-16.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.15

$2.17 MX$37.74

-29.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.03 MX$17.96

18.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.07 MX$18.70

34.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.86 £14.04

$4.10 MX$71.4

360.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 £7.48

$10.17 MX$177

-1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.71 £2.76

$1.68 MX$29.17

120.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 £2.57

$2.53 MX$43.98

36.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 £2.99

$0.51 MX$8.87

688.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 £67.4

$26.04 MX$453

247.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 £4.13

$3.23 MX$56.3

71.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 £1.07

$2.41 MX$41.88

-40.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.83 £16.25

$3.23 MX$56.2

575.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.32 MX$23.00

46.97%

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

$37.7K £28.1K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

26.88%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

59.63%

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

$311 £232

$82.0 MX$1,428

279.32%

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

$23.23 £17.29

$22.95 MX$400

1.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.24 £32.19

$30.11 MX$524

43.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.8 £49.75

$52.0 MX$905

28.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.39 £12.20

$18.53 MX$323

-11.55%

Cinema Ticket

$16.32 £12.15

$4.98 MX$86.6

227.71%

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

$1,648 £1,227

$197 MX$3,438

734.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K £11.9K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

199.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.8 £60.9

$35.60 MX$620

129.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 £41.28

$40.33 MX$702

37.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.5

$78.8 MX$1,371

35.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 £95.3

$88.9 MX$1,549

43.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 £975

$947 MX$16.5K

38.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 £781

$474 MX$8,254

121.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,910 £1,422

$1,644 MX$28.6K

16.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 £1,203

$1,211 MX$21.1K

33.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,650 £4,206

$4,056 MX$70.6K

39.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,789 £2,821

$654 MX$11.4K

479.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.51

11.42

-51.75%

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

Last update for Harrogate: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,310 in Harrogate and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harrogate pays 479% 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: $74.0 in Harrogate vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 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

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, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 479% 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: $1,310 in Harrogate versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% 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 $42.00 versus $74.0 in Harrogate. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,460 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 96% less than in Harrogate. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.