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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,425 in Middlesex versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Middlesex versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,492 in Middlesex versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Middlesex is roughly 92% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middlesex is 77% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.28 £15.14

$11.60 MX$200

74.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 £53.0

$47.11 MX$811

50.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 £7.74

$11.88 MX$205

-12.79%

Cappuccino

$3.67 £2.74

$3.98 MX$68.5

-7.79%

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

$2.29 £1.71

$1.43 MX$24.57

60.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.47

$0.82 MX$14.20

140.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 £3.30

$3.19 MX$54.9

38.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 £3.27

$6.79 MX$117

-35.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 £0.95

$1.68 MX$28.85

-24.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 £1.05

$2.20 MX$37.83

-35.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 £2.73

$1.71 MX$29.41

114.04%

Eggs

$3.76 £2.81

$2.74 MX$47.20

37.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 £5.81

$9.58 MX$165

-18.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.48 £5.59

$9.01 MX$155

-16.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 £10.50

$12.81 MX$221

9.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 £2.50

$2.89 MX$49.74

15.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 £0.77

$1.50 MX$25.78

-31.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 £0.73

$2.15 MX$36.98

-54.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 £2.88

$2.26 MX$38.91

70.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 £1.39

$1.98 MX$34.10

-6.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.99 MX$34.26

-8.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 £0.73

$1.23 MX$21.25

-20.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.20 MX$20.60

64.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.98 £17.16

$4.55 MX$78.3

405.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.34 £6.97

$10.37 MX$179

-9.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.04 £3.76

$1.62 MX$27.88

211.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 £2.80

$2.88 MX$49.60

30.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.50 £2.62

$0.60 MX$10.34

483.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 £70.0

$28.80 MX$496

225.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 £3.24

$5.39 MX$92.8

-19.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 £1.53

$3.73 MX$64.2

-45.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 £25.16

$5.77 MX$99.3

484.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$1.54 MX$26.45

27.27%

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

$39.4K £29.4K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

74.74%

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

$41.4K £30.9K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

58.89%

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

$363 £271

$91.4 MX$1,573

296.77%

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

$26.26 £19.61

$25.20 MX$434

4.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.16 £29.99

$31.24 MX$538

28.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 £35.81

$67.2 MX$1,157

-28.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$17.79 £13.29

$4.86 MX$83.7

266.05%

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

$808 £603

$224 MX$3,851

261.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K £16.8K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

430.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 £84.0

$47.10 MX$811

138.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 £42.46

$44.29 MX$763

28.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 £86.2

$80.1 MX$1,379

44.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 £95.4

$92.7 MX$1,596

37.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 £935

$1,063 MX$18.3K

17.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,046 £781

$390 MX$6,719

167.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 £1,549

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-3.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 £1,240

$1,272 MX$21.9K

30.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,240 £3,913

$4,001 MX$68.9K

30.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,967 £2,962

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-38.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

11.45

-51.70%

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

Last update for Middlesex: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,252 in Middlesex and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Middlesex vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $276 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,637 in Middlesex and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,252 in Middlesex versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,425 per month in Middlesex versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 226% less than in Middlesex. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,425 in Middlesex, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Middlesex. 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 Middlesex, 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 92% less than in Middlesex. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.