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: $2,461 in Loughrea versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,727 in Loughrea versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,993 in Loughrea versus $2,980 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 83% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.82 €19.66

$11.87 MX$204

92.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 €91.5

$42.90 MX$736

147.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.91 €11.12

$10.65 MX$183

21.22%

Cappuccino

$3.44 €2.96

$3.45 MX$59.2

-0.29%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.50 MX$25.81

52.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 €1.93

$0.95 MX$16.28

135.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.80 €5.00

$3.03 MX$51.9

91.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €3.96

$4.61 MX$79.1

-0.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.38 MX$23.61

22.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 €1.93

$1.85 MX$31.70

20.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$1.61 MX$27.65

25.47%

Eggs

$4.78 €4.12

$2.59 MX$44.51

84.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.41 €2.94

$8.26 MX$142

-58.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.97 €6.00

$8.37 MX$144

-16.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 €9.91

$10.66 MX$183

7.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 €2.82

$2.63 MX$45.12

24.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.49 MX$25.53

38.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 €2.48

$1.92 MX$32.94

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 €4.01

$2.09 MX$35.81

122.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.86 MX$31.88

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.26 MX$38.81

-22.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 €0.71

$1.06 MX$18.23

-21.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.09 MX$18.67

84.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.98 €18.07

$4.15 MX$71.2

405.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.02 €12.08

$10.39 MX$178

34.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.64 €3.13

$1.72 MX$29.59

111.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 €3.25

$2.61 MX$44.85

44.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.54 MX$9.30

338.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.9 €86.1

$26.94 MX$462

270.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 €4.57

$3.13 MX$53.7

69.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.76

$2.51 MX$43.09

-18.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.06 €33.66

$3.15 MX$54.1

1140.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.27 MX$21.88

44.88%

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

$42.0K €36.2K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

38.19%

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

$39.6K €34.1K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

68.00%

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

$169 €146

$83.0 MX$1,425

103.69%

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

$20.57 €17.73

$22.71 MX$390

-9.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 €50.1

$29.46 MX$506

97.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 €45.26

$51.0 MX$875

3.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.8 €44.65

$18.33 MX$315

182.71%

Cinema Ticket

$15.35 €13.22

$4.93 MX$84.5

211.36%

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

$1,334 €1,149

$197 MX$3,386

576.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,588 €8,261

$5,280 MX$90.6K

81.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.2

$36.90 MX$633

152.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 €43.30

$39.89 MX$685

25.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €99.3

$80.0 MX$1,373

44.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$89.5 MX$1,536

42.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 €1,289

$956 MX$16.4K

56.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,062

$477 MX$8,189

158.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,396 €2,064

$1,646 MX$28.3K

45.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,929 €1,662

$1,225 MX$21.0K

57.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,077 €3,513

$3,918 MX$67.2K

4.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,093 €2,665

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-52.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,631 €2,267

$667 MX$11.4K

294.49%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,496 in Loughrea and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Loughrea pays 294% 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: $106 in Loughrea vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $250 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 ($2,461 vs $1,271 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Loughrea pays 294% 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: $1,496 in Loughrea versus $956 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 $106 in Loughrea. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,461 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.