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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,589 in Northam versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,730 in Northam versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,870 in Northam versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Northam is roughly 105% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Northam is 89% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.92 A$29.38

$11.60 MX$200

80.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.2 A$121

$47.11 MX$811

82.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 A$15.28

$11.88 MX$205

-8.42%

Cappuccino

$4.43 A$6.22

$3.98 MX$68.4

11.31%

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

$2.92 A$4.10

$1.43 MX$24.56

104.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.11

$0.82 MX$14.20

169.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.62 A$12.10

$3.19 MX$54.9

170.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.62 A$12.10

$6.79 MX$117

26.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 A$2.45

$1.68 MX$28.84

4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 A$3.61

$2.20 MX$37.82

16.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 A$2.82

$1.71 MX$29.40

17.54%

Eggs

$4.50 A$6.32

$2.74 MX$47.18

64.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 A$9.05

$9.58 MX$165

-32.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.15 A$12.85

$9.01 MX$155

1.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 A$19.88

$12.81 MX$221

10.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 A$3.96

$2.89 MX$49.72

-2.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.26 A$4.58

$1.50 MX$25.77

117.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.00

$2.15 MX$36.97

65.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 A$7.18

$2.26 MX$38.90

126.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.22

$1.98 MX$34.09

52.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.75

$1.99 MX$34.25

-1.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 A$3.28

$1.23 MX$21.25

90.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 A$0.97

$1.20 MX$20.60

-42.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.89 A$60.2

$4.55 MX$78.3

842.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.60 A$5.05

$10.37 MX$179

-65.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.39 A$6.17

$1.62 MX$27.87

170.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 A$4.96

$2.88 MX$49.58

22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.55 A$4.99

$0.60 MX$10.33

491.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.8 A$119

$28.80 MX$496

194.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 A$5.32

$5.39 MX$92.7

-29.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$1.99

$3.73 MX$64.2

-61.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.57 A$58.4

$5.77 MX$99.3

620.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.80

$1.54 MX$26.44

-16.88%

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

$28.0K A$39.3K

$22.5K MX$388.1K

24.03%

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

$30.4K A$42.7K

$26.1K MX$448.5K

16.81%

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

$203 A$284

$91.4 MX$1,573

121.62%

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

$24.68 A$34.66

$25.20 MX$434

-2.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 A$89.9

$31.24 MX$538

105.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.1 A$71.7

$67.2 MX$1,157

-24.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.59 A$21.90

$29.11 MX$501

-46.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.75 A$24.92

$4.86 MX$83.7

265.23%

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

$2,398 A$3,367

$224 MX$3,850

972.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K A$33.1K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

456.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.1 A$108

$47.10 MX$811

63.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.9 A$93.9

$44.29 MX$762

51.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 A$174

$80.1 MX$1,379

54.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 A$214

$92.7 MX$1,595

64.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 A$1,830

$1,063 MX$18.3K

22.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 A$1,797

$390 MX$6,717

227.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 A$2,915

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-3.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 A$2,805

$1,272 MX$21.9K

57.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,032 A$9,875

$4,001 MX$68.9K

75.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,836 A$8,196

$6,502 MX$111.9K

-10.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.92

11.45

-48.30%

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

Last update for Northam: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,303 in Northam and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $86.0 in Northam vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 105% lower than in Northam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,883 in Northam 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: $1,303 in Northam versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $86.0 in Northam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,589 per month in Northam versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,589 in Northam, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Northam. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Northam 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 105% less than in Northam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.