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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,318 in Ipswich versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,487 in Ipswich versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,657 in Ipswich versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Ipswich is roughly 79% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ipswich is 69% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.46 £15.88

$11.71 MX$198

83.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.5

$46.59 MX$787

130.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 £7.87

$11.65 MX$197

-8.67%

Cappuccino

$5.83 £4.31

$4.09 MX$69.1

42.54%

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

$1.70 £1.26

$1.37 MX$23.21

24.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.39

$0.83 MX$14.08

126.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 £5.13

$3.35 MX$56.6

107.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 £5.16

$6.91 MX$117

0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.73 MX$29.16

-0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.22

$2.26 MX$38.17

-26.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.77 MX$29.88

-6.78%

Eggs

$4.45 £3.29

$2.73 MX$46.14

63.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 £9.67

$9.18 MX$155

42.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.99 £6.65

$8.92 MX$151

0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.62 £11.55

$12.60 MX$213

23.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 £2.43

$3.02 MX$51.0

8.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.57 MX$26.52

-4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 £2.03

$2.13 MX$35.89

29.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 £2.37

$2.26 MX$38.23

41.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 £1.21

$2.00 MX$33.84

-18.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 £1.12

$2.06 MX$34.86

-26.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 £1.10

$1.18 MX$19.92

25.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.20 MX$20.33

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.79 £17.60

$4.63 MX$78.3

413.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 £8.11

$10.69 MX$180

2.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 £2.02

$1.62 MX$27.35

68.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 £2.72

$2.88 MX$48.65

27.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 £2.21

$0.57 MX$9.68

422.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.8 £64.2

$29.83 MX$504

190.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 £4.17

$5.45 MX$92.0

3.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 £1.52

$3.70 MX$62.6

-44.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.42 £25.46

$5.98 MX$101

475.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.55 MX$26.23

21.94%

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

$38.6K £28.6K

$22.3K MX$377.0K

72.95%

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

$41.3K £30.6K

$25.9K MX$438.2K

59.26%

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

$373 £276

$89.1 MX$1,505

318.00%

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

$15.91 £11.77

$25.04 MX$423

-36.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.73 £30.87

$31.50 MX$532

32.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.46 £25.49

$67.8 MX$1,145

-49.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.96 £5.89

$28.92 MX$488

-72.48%

Cinema Ticket

$18.38 £13.60

$5.05 MX$85.3

263.96%

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

$1,064 £788

$225 MX$3,798

373.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K £15.1K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

382.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 £52.8

$47.44 MX$801

50.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 £41.39

$44.98 MX$759

24.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 £60.9

$82.0 MX$1,384

0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.8 £51.6

$92.1 MX$1,555

-24.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 £806

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 £722

$405 MX$6,844

140.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 £1,071

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-25.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 £1,158

$1,301 MX$22.0K

20.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,170 £3,825

$3,995 MX$67.5K

29.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,994 £2,955

$6,626 MX$111.9K

-39.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,034 £2,245

$749 MX$12.6K

305.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.64

11.45

-59.48%

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

Last update for Ipswich: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,089 in Ipswich and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipswich pays 305% 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: $107 in Ipswich vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 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

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

Ipswich and Playa del Carmen differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($2,318 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 305% higher in Ipswich, 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: $1,089 in Ipswich versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 191% less than in Ipswich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,064 in Ipswich versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,318 in Ipswich, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ipswich. 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, Ipswich 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 79% less than in Ipswich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.