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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,322 in Lambeth versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,456 in Lambeth versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,589 in Lambeth versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lambeth is roughly 85% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lambeth is 74% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.52 £15.27

$11.99 MX$209

71.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.6 £60.8

$41.78 MX$728

95.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 £7.50

$10.75 MX$187

-6.23%

Cappuccino

$4.55 £3.39

$3.50 MX$60.9

30.00%

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

$2.34 £1.74

$1.45 MX$25.22

61.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.18

$0.88 MX$15.41

80.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 £4.51

$2.95 MX$51.3

105.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.23 £4.64

$4.51 MX$78.6

38.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.43 MX$24.94

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.84 MX$31.99

-13.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 £1.68

$1.57 MX$27.31

43.95%

Eggs

$3.83 £2.85

$2.51 MX$43.74

52.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 £7.16

$8.28 MX$144

16.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 £6.58

$8.43 MX$147

4.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 £10.44

$10.68 MX$186

31.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 £2.25

$2.61 MX$45.43

16.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 £1.16

$1.44 MX$25.04

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 £2.09

$1.96 MX$34.16

42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.54

$2.09 MX$36.47

63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.85 MX$32.24

-9.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 £1.10

$2.17 MX$37.74

-32.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 £0.82

$1.03 MX$17.96

6.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.07 MX$18.70

37.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.96 £14.11

$4.10 MX$71.4

362.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.28 £8.40

$10.17 MX$177

10.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 £2.00

$1.68 MX$29.17

59.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.30

$2.53 MX$43.98

21.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.39 £2.53

$0.51 MX$8.87

564.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 £66.3

$26.04 MX$453

241.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 £4.15

$3.23 MX$56.3

72.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 £1.55

$2.41 MX$41.88

-13.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.22 £17.29

$3.23 MX$56.2

618.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 £1.60

$1.32 MX$23.00

62.88%

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

$39.1K £29.1K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

31.54%

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

$40.8K £30.4K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

72.48%

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

$293 £218

$82.0 MX$1,428

257.30%

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

$16.98 £12.64

$22.95 MX$400

-26.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.82 £31.88

$30.11 MX$524

42.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.12 £34.34

$52.0 MX$905

-11.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$13.37 £9.96

$4.98 MX$86.6

168.47%

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

$1,584 £1,179

$197 MX$3,438

702.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.5K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

241.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.3 £63.5

$35.60 MX$620

139.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.86 £32.66

$40.33 MX$702

8.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 £69.2

$78.8 MX$1,371

17.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.6 £73.4

$88.9 MX$1,549

10.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 £924

$947 MX$16.5K

30.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 £744

$474 MX$8,254

110.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,019 £1,503

$1,644 MX$28.6K

22.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 £1,276

$1,211 MX$21.1K

41.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,716 £3,511

$4,056 MX$70.6K

16.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.42

-50.70%

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

Last update for Lambeth: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Lambeth and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Lambeth vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 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

Lambeth 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 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,484 in Lambeth and $1,884 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,240 in Lambeth versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,322 per month in Lambeth versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 242% less than in Lambeth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,322 in Lambeth, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lambeth. 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 Lambeth, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lambeth 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 85% less than in Lambeth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.