Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Longford and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,547 in Longford, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Longford
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,547
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Longford 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 Longford and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,547 in Longford versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Longford $2,547
  • Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,649 in Longford versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Longford $3,649
  • Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,751 in Longford versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Longford $4,751
  • Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Longford is roughly 110% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Longford is 89% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Longford
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.20 €19.74
$10.76 MX$199
106.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.7 €79.8
$43.03 MX$795
108.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.78 €11.37
$11.79 MX$218
8.40%
Cappuccino
$4.41 €3.92
$3.87 MX$71.4
13.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 €2.59
$1.37 MX$25.29
112.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 €1.96
$0.84 MX$15.44
163.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.39 €4.79
$3.10 MX$57.3
73.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.43 €4.83
$5.07 MX$93.6
7.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Longford
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.44 MX$26.55
-16.67%
White Bread (500g)
$2.31 €2.06
$2.23 MX$41.23
3.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.95 €1.74
$1.47 MX$27.17
32.65%
Eggs
$4.66 €4.15
$2.53 MX$46.71
84.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.21 €12.64
$7.30 MX$135
94.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.77 €11.36
$7.86 MX$145
62.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.84 €14.98
$12.79 MX$236
31.67%
Apples (1kg)
$3.27 €2.91
$2.90 MX$53.6
12.76%
Banana (1kg)
$2.93 €2.61
$1.44 MX$26.53
103.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.35 €2.98
$2.55 MX$47.07
31.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.78 €4.25
$2.06 MX$38.03
132.04%
Potato (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.00 MX$36.97
13.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$2.01 MX$37.07
-9.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.19 MX$22.02
21.01%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.26 MX$23.23
64.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.26 €17.13
$4.40 MX$81.4
337.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.52 €12.02
$9.59 MX$177
40.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.05 €3.60
$1.59 MX$29.41
154.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 €3.08
$2.81 MX$51.9
23.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Longford
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.37 €2.11
$0.57 MX$10.47
315.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$27.82 MX$514
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.10 €4.54
$4.98 MX$92.1
2.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 €1.32
$3.50 MX$64.6
-57.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.14 €29.47
$5.40 MX$99.8
513.70%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.47 MX$27.08
27.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.1K €34.8K
$21.0K MX$387.8K
86.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.5K €33.3K
$23.9K MX$441.8K
56.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Longford
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$236 €210
$84.2 MX$1,556
179.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.91 €19.49
$23.99 MX$443
-8.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.47 €35.11
$29.02 MX$536
36.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Longford
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.4 €52.0
$63.0 MX$1,164
-7.22%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.60 €29.88
$29.14 MX$539
15.31%
Cinema Ticket
$13.45 €11.97
$4.94 MX$91.3
172.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Longford
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,065 €947
$204 MX$3,763
422.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,436 €4,835
$3,941 MX$72.8K
37.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Longford
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.44 €40.42
$43.60 MX$806
4.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.37 €29.68
$43.12 MX$797
-22.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.6 €54.8
$75.8 MX$1,400
-18.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$56.1 €49.86
$88.6 MX$1,637
-36.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Longford
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,193 €1,061
$1,008 MX$18.6K
18.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,343 €1,194
$374 MX$6,911
258.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,981 €1,762
$1,708 MX$31.6K
15.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,988 €1,768
$1,106 MX$20.4K
79.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,687 €2,390
$3,944 MX$72.9K
-31.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Longford
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,462 €1,301
$754 MX$13.9K
93.90%
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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Longford
$1.3K
Playa del Carmen
$374 72.1% $969
Groceries & Markets
Longford
$385
Playa del Carmen
$258 32.9% $127
Eating Out
Longford
$327
Playa del Carmen
$202 38.2% $125
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Longford
$297
Playa del Carmen
$137 53.8% $160
Clothing & Footwear
Longford
$88
Playa del Carmen
$113 27.8% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Longford
$85
Playa del Carmen
$73 14.6% $12
Getting Around
Longford
$22 *
Playa del Carmen
$53 139% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,193 in Longford and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Longford pays 94% 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: $90.0 in Longford vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Longford
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
12:32 12:32 PM
06:32 6:32 AM
6 h behind Longford
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,952
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Longford Playa del Carmen 7,480 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Longford
  • 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
Longford vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Longford?
Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Longford or Playa del Carmen?
Average pay runs 94% higher in Longford, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Longford and Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,193 in Longford versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Longford and in Playa del Carmen?
Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Longford. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Longford and in Playa del Carmen?
All in, you'll spend $2,547 per month in Longford versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Longford or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,547 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.
Is Longford or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Longford or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Longford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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