Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London, Canada and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,342 in London, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,342

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in London and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in London and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,342 in London versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

London $2,342
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,356 in London versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

London $3,356
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,370 in London versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

London $4,370
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in London is roughly 94% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: London is 72% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.44 CA$29.96

$10.92 MX$205

96.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.9 CA$90.6

$43.37 MX$814

49.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.45 CA$17.40

$11.78 MX$221

5.69%

Cappuccino

$3.75 CA$5.24

$3.81 MX$71.5

-1.57%

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

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.28 MX$24.07

72.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 CA$2.98

$0.78 MX$14.70

173.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.26 CA$8.74

$3.17 MX$59.5

97.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$8.94

$4.93 MX$92.7

29.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$1.41 MX$26.40

34.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$2.22 MX$41.62

20.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.68

$1.42 MX$26.61

186.62%

Eggs

$3.69 CA$5.15

$2.52 MX$47.36

46.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 CA$14.00

$7.26 MX$136

38.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.75 CA$16.41

$7.70 MX$144

52.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 CA$20.85

$12.69 MX$238

17.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 CA$6.11

$2.78 MX$52.3

57.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$1.37 MX$25.68

-11.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 CA$5.29

$2.55 MX$47.89

48.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.88

$2.12 MX$39.86

98.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.47

$1.94 MX$36.39

64.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 CA$4.30

$1.89 MX$35.41

62.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$1.15 MX$21.53

119.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.16

$1.18 MX$22.13

30.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.01 CA$16.78

$4.30 MX$80.6

179.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 CA$17.72

$9.95 MX$187

27.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$1.58 MX$29.73

61.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$2.67 MX$50.1

8.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.56

$0.55 MX$10.39

363.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.3 CA$112

$26.62 MX$500

201.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 CA$3.42

$4.97 MX$93.3

-50.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$3.33 MX$62.5

-50.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.15 CA$30.95

$5.36 MX$101

313.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.74

$1.44 MX$27.11

-13.19%

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

$26.8K CA$37.5K

$20.7K MX$388.0K

29.72%

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

$23.2K CA$32.4K

$23.5K MX$440.5K

-1.28%

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

$139 CA$194

$84.8 MX$1,592

63.84%

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

$39.22 CA$54.8

$23.41 MX$439

67.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.6 CA$79.1

$28.66 MX$538

97.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.95 CA$50.2

$57.1 MX$1,071

-36.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.81 CA$40.25

$28.91 MX$543

-0.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 CA$15.14

$5.14 MX$96.5

110.70%

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

$419 CA$586

$207 MX$3,878

103.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K CA$29.1K

$3,927 MX$73.7K

430.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$75.7

$43.35 MX$814

24.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.94 CA$54.4

$41.44 MX$778

-6.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.1 CA$113

$74.2 MX$1,393

9.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 CA$128

$89.3 MX$1,676

2.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 CA$1,849

$980 MX$18.4K

35.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,149 CA$1,606

$381 MX$7,150

201.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 CA$2,932

$1,708 MX$32.1K

22.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,681 CA$2,349

$1,075 MX$20.2K

56.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,124 CA$5,762

$3,943 MX$74.0K

4.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,452 CA$4,823

$6,158 MX$115.6K

-43.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,052 CA$4,265

$735 MX$13.8K

315.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

11.45

-58.78%

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

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

London

$1.1K 49.1%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 66.9% $769

Groceries & Markets

London

$364 15.5%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 30% $109

Eating Out

London

$315 13.5%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 35.8% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$235 10%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 41.7% $98

Clothing & Footwear

London

$119 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 6.5% $7.8

Getting Around

London

$101 4.3%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 50.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

London

$58 2.5%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 16.8% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,323 in London and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays about 4.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65 in London vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 London

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:19 6:19 PM

Same time as London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

383,822

149,923

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

London Playa del Carmen 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

London
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Playa del Carmen is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in London is about 4.2 times higher, 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: $1,323 in London versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,342 per month in London versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 49% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 67% less than in London. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,342 in London, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in London. 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 London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.