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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,724 in Longford versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,903 in Longford versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,081 in Longford versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Longford is roughly 111% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Longford is 98% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.13 €19.09

$11.71 MX$199

88.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.7 €80.8

$46.59 MX$792

101.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.27 €11.44

$11.65 MX$198

13.91%

Cappuccino

$4.53 €3.90

$4.09 MX$69.6

10.76%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$1.37 MX$23.35

122.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.99

$0.83 MX$14.17

177.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 €4.71

$3.35 MX$57.0

62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €4.88

$6.91 MX$117

-18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.73 MX$29.35

-27.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.26 MX$38.41

2.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.77 MX$30.07

8.47%

Eggs

$4.79 €4.13

$2.73 MX$46.43

75.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.74 €12.71

$9.18 MX$156

60.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.24 €11.42

$8.92 MX$152

48.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.26 €14.89

$12.60 MX$214

36.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 €2.93

$3.02 MX$51.3

12.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 €2.64

$1.57 MX$26.69

94.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 €3.07

$2.13 MX$36.12

67.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 €4.37

$2.26 MX$38.48

123.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.00 MX$34.05

22.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.06 MX$35.08

-7.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.18 MX$20.05

27.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.92

$1.20 MX$20.46

85.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.15 €17.38

$4.63 MX$78.8

335.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.12 €12.18

$10.69 MX$182

32.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.36 €3.76

$1.62 MX$27.52

169.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 €3.16

$2.88 MX$48.96

27.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.15

$0.57 MX$9.74

336.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$116 €100

$29.83 MX$507

289.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 €4.63

$5.45 MX$92.6

-1.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 €1.39

$3.70 MX$63.0

-56.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.89 €29.23

$5.98 MX$102

466.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 €1.68

$1.55 MX$26.40

25.16%

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

$40.6K €35.1K

$22.3K MX$379.4K

82.06%

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

$39.0K €33.7K

$25.9K MX$441.0K

50.43%

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

$252 €217

$89.1 MX$1,515

182.80%

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

$22.38 €19.30

$25.04 MX$426

-10.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.31 €35.63

$31.50 MX$535

31.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 €50.4

$67.8 MX$1,152

-13.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.21 €29.51

$28.92 MX$491

18.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 €12.12

$5.05 MX$85.8

178.22%

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

$1,102 €951

$225 MX$3,823

389.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,570 €4,804

$4,222 MX$71.8K

31.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.78 €40.34

$47.44 MX$806

-1.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.49 €29.75

$44.98 MX$764

-23.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.7 €55.8

$82.0 MX$1,393

-21.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.7 €49.76

$92.1 MX$1,565

-37.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 €1,084

$1,069 MX$18.2K

17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 €1,194

$405 MX$6,888

241.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,122 €1,830

$1,935 MX$32.9K

9.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,015 €1,738

$1,301 MX$22.1K

54.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,831 €2,441

$3,995 MX$67.9K

-29.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,538 €1,327

$749 MX$12.7K

105.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

11.45

-63.84%

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

Last update for Longford: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,256 in Longford and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longford pays 105% 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: $94.0 in Longford vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 105% higher in Longford, 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: $1,256 in Longford 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 290% less than in Longford. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,102 in Longford 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 $2,724 in Longford, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Longford. 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 Longford, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Longford 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 111% less than in Longford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.