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: $2,494 in Northam versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,608 in Northam versus $2,276 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,721 in Northam versus $3,280 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Northam is roughly 96% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Northam is 84% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 A$28.26

$12.84 MX$222

55.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.3 A$121

$45.54 MX$786

87.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 A$15.15

$12.58 MX$217

-15.10%

Cappuccino

$4.19 A$5.94

$3.93 MX$67.7

6.62%

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

$2.79 A$3.96

$1.38 MX$23.85

102.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 A$3.12

$0.75 MX$13.02

193.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.54 A$12.12

$3.04 MX$52.5

180.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 A$11.99

$6.80 MX$117

24.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 A$2.42

$1.67 MX$28.75

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 A$3.55

$2.22 MX$38.25

12.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 A$2.96

$1.70 MX$29.29

22.94%

Eggs

$4.52 A$6.41

$2.67 MX$45.99

69.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 A$9.04

$9.13 MX$158

-30.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 A$12.91

$8.94 MX$154

1.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 A$19.69

$12.54 MX$216

10.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.90

$2.99 MX$51.6

-8.03%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.61

$1.53 MX$26.43

112.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 A$4.55

$2.14 MX$36.95

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 A$7.67

$2.29 MX$39.56

135.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$3.98

$2.05 MX$35.39

37.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 A$2.69

$2.04 MX$35.24

-7.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 A$3.17

$1.21 MX$20.90

85.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 A$1.04

$1.18 MX$20.35

-38.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$40.62 A$57.6

$4.62 MX$79.8

779.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.42 A$4.85

$10.41 MX$180

-67.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 A$5.98

$1.65 MX$28.42

155.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 A$5.02

$2.93 MX$50.5

20.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 A$3.89

$0.59 MX$10.25

364.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.6 A$121

$28.43 MX$491

201.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 A$5.08

$5.07 MX$87.4

-29.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 A$2.01

$3.66 MX$63.1

-61.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.96 A$58.1

$5.85 MX$101

600.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.86

$1.57 MX$27.06

-16.56%

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

$27.8K A$39.5K

$22.3K MX$384.7K

24.81%

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

$30.2K A$42.8K

$25.7K MX$444.2K

17.29%

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

$198 A$281

$88.7 MX$1,530

123.21%

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

$24.36 A$34.55

$22.82 MX$394

6.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.4 A$87.1

$30.42 MX$525

101.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 A$73.4

$68.3 MX$1,178

-24.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.31 A$27.40

$28.60 MX$494

-32.48%

Cinema Ticket

$17.41 A$24.70

$4.94 MX$85.3

252.43%

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

$2,254 A$3,198

$216 MX$3,730

942.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K A$33.2K

$4,146 MX$71.5K

464.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.9 A$109

$46.48 MX$802

65.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.5 A$92.9

$44.13 MX$762

48.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 A$167

$92.2 MX$1,591

27.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 A$223

$93.4 MX$1,611

68.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 A$1,861

$1,080 MX$18.6K

21.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 A$1,544

$389 MX$6,715

179.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,257 A$3,202

$1,935 MX$33.4K

16.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 A$2,566

$1,277 MX$22.0K

41.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,055 A$8,589

$3,958 MX$68.3K

52.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,568 A$6,480

$6,438 MX$111.1K

-29.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.96

11.6

-48.62%

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

Last update for Northam: August 3, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 4, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,312 in Northam and $1,080 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Northam vs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $274 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 96% 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 $3,741 in Northam and $1,907 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: $1,312 in Northam versus $1,080 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 $46.00 versus $85.0 in Northam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,494 per month in Northam versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,494 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 $1,271 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 96% less than in Northam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.