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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,502 in Loughrea versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,685 in Loughrea versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,868 in Loughrea versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Loughrea is roughly 94% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Loughrea is 87% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.37 €19.96

$11.94 MX$208

95.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 €88.4

$42.75 MX$744

142.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.62 €10.78

$10.59 MX$184

19.17%

Cappuccino

$3.54 €3.02

$3.62 MX$63.0

-2.21%

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

$2.38 €2.03

$1.47 MX$25.54

61.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 €1.85

$0.94 MX$16.41

129.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.80 €4.96

$3.09 MX$53.8

87.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.01

$4.46 MX$77.6

5.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.43

$1.43 MX$24.80

17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 €1.84

$1.88 MX$32.79

14.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 €1.70

$1.63 MX$28.34

22.70%

Eggs

$4.78 €4.08

$2.64 MX$45.99

81.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.49 €2.98

$8.21 MX$143

-57.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.79 €5.80

$8.29 MX$144

-18.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.39 €9.73

$11.10 MX$193

2.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 €2.73

$2.65 MX$46.14

20.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.83

$1.50 MX$26.11

43.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 €2.54

$1.99 MX$34.59

49.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 €3.99

$2.08 MX$36.13

124.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.85

$1.79 MX$31.11

21.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$2.18 MX$37.87

-21.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 €0.65

$1.08 MX$18.73

-28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.04 MX$18.04

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.80 €17.77

$3.97 MX$69.1

423.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.22 €12.14

$10.20 MX$178

39.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.06

$1.73 MX$30.04

106.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 €3.23

$2.50 MX$43.46

51.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 €2.06

$0.52 MX$9.02

363.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.9 €84.5

$26.97 MX$469

266.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 €4.65

$3.14 MX$54.7

73.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.40 MX$41.80

-15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.95 €33.27

$3.09 MX$53.7

1160.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 €1.61

$1.27 MX$22.16

48.03%

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

$43.3K €37.0K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

40.13%

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

$40.6K €34.6K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

73.93%

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

$167 €142

$82.0 MX$1,427

103.21%

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

$19.99 €17.07

$22.45 MX$391

-10.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.3 €49.82

$29.66 MX$516

96.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 €44.86

$51.9 MX$903

1.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.5 €44.87

$18.67 MX$325

181.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.99 €12.80

$4.97 MX$86.5

201.61%

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

$1,361 €1,163

$198 MX$3,442

588.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,453 €8,073

$5,273 MX$91.7K

79.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.2 €79.6

$36.34 MX$632

156.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.76 €42.50

$40.05 MX$697

24.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 €101

$79.9 MX$1,390

47.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 €108

$88.9 MX$1,547

42.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 €1,242

$963 MX$16.8K

50.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 €1,060

$465 MX$8,086

166.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,391 €2,042

$1,596 MX$27.8K

49.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,701

$1,209 MX$21.0K

64.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,027 €3,439

$3,942 MX$68.6K

2.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,875 €2,455

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-55.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,692 €2,299

$720 MX$12.5K

273.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

11.42

-64.62%

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

Last update for Loughrea: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,454 in Loughrea and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Loughrea pays 274% 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: $103 in Loughrea vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $251 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

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

Loughrea and Playa del Carmen differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($2,502 vs $1,287 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Loughrea pays 274% more on average, 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: $1,454 in Loughrea versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Loughrea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $103 in Loughrea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,502 in Loughrea, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Loughrea. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Loughrea 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 94% less than in Loughrea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.