Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mullingar and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,754 in Mullingar, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mullingar, Ireland
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Mullingar
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,754
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,754 in Mullingar versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Mullingar $2,754
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,853 in Mullingar versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Mullingar $3,853
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,953 in Mullingar versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Mullingar $4,953
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Mullingar is roughly 129% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mullingar is 102% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mullingar
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.43 €18.30
$10.92 MX$205
87.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.0 €75.3
$43.37 MX$814
93.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.54 €12.13
$11.78 MX$221
14.94%
Cappuccino
$4.73 €4.24
$3.81 MX$71.5
24.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 €2.27
$1.28 MX$24.07
97.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 €2.00
$0.78 MX$14.70
185.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.40 €6.63
$3.17 MX$59.5
133.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.68 €5.98
$4.93 MX$92.7
35.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mullingar
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.41 MX$26.40
8.51%
White Bread (500g)
$1.20 €1.08
$2.22 MX$41.62
-45.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 €1.57
$1.42 MX$26.61
23.94%
Eggs
$3.99 €3.57
$2.52 MX$47.36
58.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.47 €7.59
$7.26 MX$136
16.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.26 €10.98
$7.70 MX$144
59.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 €12.50
$12.69 MX$238
10.01%
Apples (1kg)
$4.15 €3.72
$2.78 MX$52.3
49.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.99 €1.79
$1.37 MX$25.68
45.26%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 €1.41
$2.55 MX$47.89
-38.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.94 €3.52
$2.12 MX$39.86
85.85%
Potato (1kg)
$2.27 €2.03
$1.94 MX$36.39
17.01%
Onion (1kg)
$1.25 €1.12
$1.89 MX$35.41
-33.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 €1.17
$1.15 MX$21.53
13.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.18 MX$22.13
-6.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.56 €18.41
$4.30 MX$80.6
378.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.22 €10.05
$9.95 MX$187
12.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.84 €2.55
$1.58 MX$29.73
79.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 €3.07
$2.67 MX$50.1
28.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Mullingar
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.73 €1.55
$0.55 MX$10.39
214.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$68.1 €61.0
$26.62 MX$500
155.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.54 €4.96
$4.97 MX$93.3
11.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.46 €1.31
$3.33 MX$62.5
-56.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$66.7 €59.7
$5.36 MX$101
1143.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 €1.86
$1.44 MX$27.11
44.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K €34.3K
$20.7K MX$388.0K
85.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.2K €34.2K
$23.5K MX$440.5K
62.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mullingar
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$84.8 MX$1,592
90.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.54 €18.40
$23.41 MX$439
-12.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.88 €41.09
$28.66 MX$538
60.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mullingar
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.5 €53.3
$57.1 MX$1,071
4.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$33.02 €29.57
$28.91 MX$543
14.22%
Cinema Ticket
$11.03 €9.88
$5.14 MX$96.5
114.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mullingar
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$850 €762
$207 MX$3,878
311.70%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,224 €1,992
$3,927 MX$73.7K
-43.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mullingar
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.0 €78.8
$43.35 MX$814
102.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.04 €32.28
$41.44 MX$778
-13.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.1 €79.8
$74.2 MX$1,393
20.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.6 €84.7
$89.3 MX$1,676
5.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mullingar
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,738 €1,557
$980 MX$18.4K
77.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,579 €1,414
$381 MX$7,150
314.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,444 €2,189
$1,708 MX$32.1K
43.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,224 €1,991
$1,075 MX$20.2K
106.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,976 €3,561
$3,943 MX$74.0K
0.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,795 €3,399
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-38.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mullingar
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,610 €2,337
$735 MX$13.8K
255.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.6
11.45
-68.56%

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

Last update for Mullingar: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mullingar
$1.6K
Playa del Carmen
$381 75.9% $1.2K
Eating Out
Mullingar
$330
Playa del Carmen
$202 38.7% $128
Groceries & Markets
Mullingar
$309
Playa del Carmen
$255 17.5% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mullingar
$228
Playa del Carmen
$137 39.9% $91
Clothing & Footwear
Mullingar
$138
Playa del Carmen
$112 19.3% $27
Getting Around
Mullingar
$88
Playa del Carmen
$50 42.6% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Mullingar
$82
Playa del Carmen
$67 17.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,738 in Mullingar and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mullingar pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Mullingar vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Mullingar
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
03:07 3:07 AM
22:07 10:07 PM
5 h behind Mullingar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
22,667
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mullingar Playa del Carmen 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mullingar
  • 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
Mullingar vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mullingar or Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Mullingar. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Mullingar or in Playa del Carmen?
Average pay in Mullingar is about 3.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Mullingar compared to Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,738 in Mullingar versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Mullingar compared to Playa del Carmen?
A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 61% less than in Mullingar. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Mullingar and in Playa del Carmen?
Childcare runs $850 in Mullingar versus $207 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Mullingar or in Playa del Carmen?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,754 in Mullingar, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Mullingar. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Mullingar or Playa del Carmen?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Mullingar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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