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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,490 in Hertfordshire versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,804 in Hertfordshire versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,118 in Hertfordshire versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Hertfordshire is roughly 92% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hertfordshire is 86% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.80 £19.96

$11.73 MX$203

128.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.6 £60.0

$41.62 MX$719

93.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 £8.14

$10.64 MX$184

2.73%

Cappuccino

$4.59 £3.42

$3.52 MX$60.8

30.40%

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

$1.87 £1.40

$1.51 MX$26.09

23.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.19

$0.97 MX$16.82

64.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.30 £3.95

$2.95 MX$51.0

79.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 £4.03

$4.45 MX$77.0

21.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 £0.79

$1.38 MX$23.90

-23.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.89 MX$32.69

-14.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 £1.56

$1.64 MX$28.29

27.44%

Eggs

$3.04 £2.27

$2.51 MX$43.30

21.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 £7.55

$8.34 MX$144

21.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.37 £5.49

$8.34 MX$144

-11.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.48 £13.02

$10.73 MX$185

62.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 £1.78

$2.60 MX$45.00

-8.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.46 MX$25.18

41.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 £2.41

$1.90 MX$32.84

70.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 £1.88

$2.08 MX$35.88

21.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 £0.69

$1.78 MX$30.68

-48.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.30

$2.19 MX$37.76

-20.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.04 MX$17.97

21.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.08 MX$18.60

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.37 £12.20

$4.08 MX$70.5

301.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 £8.54

$10.32 MX$178

11.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.50

$1.71 MX$29.59

17.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 £1.55

$2.58 MX$44.50

-18.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 £2.45

$0.51 MX$8.81

543.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 £64.8

$26.46 MX$457

228.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 £3.37

$3.26 MX$56.4

38.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.49 MX$43.05

-32.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.90 £17.06

$3.25 MX$56.1

604.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.31 MX$22.59

43.51%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

24.71%

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

$42.3K £31.5K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

80.59%

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

$165 £123

$82.9 MX$1,432

99.09%

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

$17.15 £12.78

$22.22 MX$384

-22.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.98 £26.81

$29.34 MX$507

22.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.29 £34.49

$51.6 MX$892

-10.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$12.20 £9.09

$5.07 MX$87.5

140.63%

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

$1,762 £1,313

$201 MX$3,470

777.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.5K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

247.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.27 £35.96

$36.92 MX$638

30.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 £39.98

$39.79 MX$688

34.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.4 £51.7

$78.5 MX$1,356

-11.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.1 £67.9

$87.1 MX$1,505

4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,823 £1,358

$973 MX$16.8K

87.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,380 £1,028

$468 MX$8,082

195.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,928 £2,181

$1,641 MX$28.4K

78.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,349 £1,750

$1,221 MX$21.1K

92.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,281 £2,444

$664 MX$11.5K

394.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

11.42

-48.07%

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

Last update for Hertfordshire: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,823 in Hertfordshire and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hertfordshire pays 394% 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: $81.0 in Hertfordshire vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 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

Hertfordshire 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 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Hertfordshire pays 394% more on average, 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: $1,823 in Hertfordshire versus $973 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 $81.0 in Hertfordshire. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,490 per month in Hertfordshire versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,490 in Hertfordshire, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Hertfordshire. 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 Hertfordshire, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hertfordshire 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 92% less than in Hertfordshire. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.