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: $2,310 in Middlesex versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,972 in Middlesex versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,634 in Middlesex versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Middlesex is roughly 83% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Middlesex is 74% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.65 £11.61

$11.72 MX$203

33.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 £55.3

$41.89 MX$726

77.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 £6.65

$10.51 MX$182

-14.75%

Cappuccino

$3.74 £2.78

$3.59 MX$62.1

4.18%

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

$2.39 £1.77

$1.51 MX$26.13

58.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 £1.56

$0.92 MX$15.86

128.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.13 £3.07

$2.96 MX$51.2

39.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 £3.64

$4.41 MX$76.4

11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.40 MX$24.19

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 £1.05

$1.88 MX$32.65

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 £2.53

$1.56 MX$27.01

117.95%

Eggs

$3.91 £2.90

$2.61 MX$45.20

49.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.35 £3.97

$8.32 MX$144

-35.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 £6.04

$8.35 MX$145

-2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.77 £10.96

$10.86 MX$188

36.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 £2.44

$2.71 MX$47.00

21.77%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 £0.72

$1.51 MX$26.08

-35.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 £0.76

$1.87 MX$32.46

-45.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 £3.31

$2.19 MX$37.94

104.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.86 MX$32.18

-35.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 £1.03

$2.23 MX$38.64

-37.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 £0.76

$1.07 MX$18.51

-4.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.09 MX$18.82

65.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.42 £12.92

$4.19 MX$72.5

315.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.24 £6.85

$10.43 MX$181

-11.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.52 £2.61

$1.66 MX$28.72

112.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 £2.03

$2.61 MX$45.26

4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.47

$0.54 MX$9.39

516.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.3 £66.9

$26.16 MX$453

244.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 £2.94

$3.08 MX$53.3

28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 £0.96

$2.40 MX$41.66

-46.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.40 £25.51

$3.13 MX$54.2

999.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.41

$1.31 MX$22.72

45.80%

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

$38.0K £28.2K

$29.8K MX$516.4K

27.57%

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

$36.5K £27.1K

$23.3K MX$404.1K

56.51%

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

$314 £233

$81.3 MX$1,408

286.06%

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

$23.01 £17.06

$22.56 MX$391

1.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.02 £29.69

$30.05 MX$521

33.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 £39.59

$52.9 MX$917

0.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.79 £15.42

$18.39 MX$319

13.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.50 £10.75

$4.92 MX$85.2

194.72%

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

$1,587 £1,177

$201 MX$3,479

690.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K £9,936

$5,175 MX$89.7K

158.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 £77.9

$35.92 MX$622

192.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.2 £40.97

$40.13 MX$695

37.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £92.3

$79.7 MX$1,381

56.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 £95.9

$86.5 MX$1,498

49.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 £911

$978 MX$16.9K

25.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 £757

$470 MX$8,152

116.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 £1,522

$1,651 MX$28.6K

24.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,996 £2,222

$1,203 MX$20.9K

148.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,240 £3,886

$3,953 MX$68.5K

32.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,939 £5,147

$6,607 MX$114.5K

5.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.76

11.42

-49.56%

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

Last update for Middlesex: July 27, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,228 in Middlesex and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Middlesex vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $252 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 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,464 in Middlesex and $1,890 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: $1,228 in Middlesex versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,310 per month in Middlesex versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen – a 83% 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 245% less than in Middlesex. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,310 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 83% less than in Middlesex. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.