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: $2,540 in Lambeth versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,704 in Lambeth versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,869 in Lambeth versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lambeth is 85% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.64 £18.23

$11.71 MX$198

110.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.6 £61.1

$46.59 MX$787

77.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.80 £10.21

$11.65 MX$197

18.45%

Cappuccino

$4.98 £3.69

$4.09 MX$69.1

21.76%

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

$2.69 £1.99

$1.37 MX$23.21

96.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 £1.86

$0.83 MX$14.08

203.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 £4.87

$3.35 MX$56.6

96.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 £4.43

$6.91 MX$117

-13.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.73 MX$29.16

2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 £1.50

$2.26 MX$38.17

-10.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 £1.58

$1.77 MX$29.88

20.90%

Eggs

$4.38 £3.24

$2.73 MX$46.14

60.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 £7.09

$9.18 MX$155

4.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.61 £7.85

$8.92 MX$151

18.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.01 £15.54

$12.60 MX$213

66.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 £3.31

$3.02 MX$51.0

48.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.57 MX$26.52

-1.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 £1.48

$2.13 MX$35.89

-6.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 £2.67

$2.26 MX$38.23

59.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$2.00 MX$33.84

-19.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 £1.45

$2.06 MX$34.86

-5.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 £1.15

$1.18 MX$19.92

32.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.20 MX$20.33

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.85 £17.65

$4.63 MX$78.3

415.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 £8.48

$10.69 MX$180

7.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.44

$1.62 MX$27.35

103.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.25

$2.88 MX$48.65

5.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.51 £2.60

$0.57 MX$9.68

515.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 £69.5

$29.83 MX$504

214.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 £3.95

$5.45 MX$92.0

-2.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 £1.55

$3.70 MX$62.6

-43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.14 £17.86

$5.98 MX$101

303.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.55 MX$26.23

26.45%

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

$39.1K £29.0K

$22.3K MX$377.0K

75.34%

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

$41.3K £30.6K

$25.9K MX$438.2K

59.27%

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

$391 £289

$89.1 MX$1,505

338.71%

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

$24.77 £18.33

$25.04 MX$423

-1.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 £37.81

$31.50 MX$532

62.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.95 £34.73

$67.8 MX$1,145

-30.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

Cinema Ticket

$18.22 £13.48

$5.05 MX$85.3

260.79%

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

$1,358 £1,005

$225 MX$3,798

503.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K £16.5K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

429.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 £51.0

$47.44 MX$801

45.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.26 £35.71

$44.98 MX$759

7.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 £56.5

$82.0 MX$1,384

-6.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 £60.0

$92.1 MX$1,555

-11.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 £929

$1,069 MX$18.1K

17.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 £770

$405 MX$6,844

156.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 £1,540

$1,935 MX$32.7K

7.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,729 £1,279

$1,301 MX$22.0K

32.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,380 £3,980

$3,995 MX$67.5K

34.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,434 £3,280

$6,626 MX$111.9K

-33.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

11.45

-51.62%

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

Last update for Lambeth: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,255 in Lambeth and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $83.0 in Lambeth vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 96% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,810 in Lambeth and $1,940 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: $1,255 in Lambeth versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,540 per month in Lambeth versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 96% 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 215% less than in Lambeth. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,540 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 96% less than in Lambeth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.