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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,264 in Nottingham versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,188 in Nottingham versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,112 in Nottingham versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Nottingham is roughly 80% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nottingham is 69% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 £15.37

$11.99 MX$209

72.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 £50.6

$41.78 MX$728

62.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 £8.03

$10.75 MX$187

0.37%

Cappuccino

$4.55 £3.39

$3.50 MX$60.9

30.00%

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

$2.50 £1.86

$1.45 MX$25.22

72.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £1.00

$0.88 MX$15.41

52.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 £4.43

$2.95 MX$51.3

101.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.37 £4.74

$4.51 MX$78.6

41.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.43 MX$24.94

22.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.84 MX$31.99

-15.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.57 MX$27.31

-7.64%

Eggs

$4.32 £3.22

$2.51 MX$43.74

72.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 £5.36

$8.28 MX$144

-12.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 £6.62

$8.43 MX$147

5.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 £11.95

$10.68 MX$186

50.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 £2.40

$2.61 MX$45.43

23.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$1.44 MX$25.04

51.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 £3.09

$1.96 MX$34.16

111.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 £2.22

$2.09 MX$36.47

43.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.85 MX$32.24

-2.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 £1.10

$2.17 MX$37.74

-32.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.03 MX$17.96

21.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.07 MX$18.70

50.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.65 £15.37

$4.10 MX$71.4

403.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 £9.86

$10.17 MX$177

30.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.66 £2.72

$1.68 MX$29.17

117.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 £3.56

$2.53 MX$43.98

88.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.15 £3.09

$0.51 MX$8.87

713.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.5 £71.1

$26.04 MX$453

266.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 £4.11

$3.23 MX$56.3

70.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 £1.12

$2.41 MX$41.88

-37.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.93 £17.07

$3.23 MX$56.2

609.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.47

$1.32 MX$23.00

50.00%

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

$37.8K £28.2K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

27.38%

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

$42.2K £31.4K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

78.29%

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

$253 £188

$82.0 MX$1,428

208.57%

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

$16.25 £12.10

$22.95 MX$400

-29.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.41 £30.83

$30.11 MX$524

37.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.25 £30.71

$52.0 MX$905

-20.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.84 £5.84

$18.53 MX$323

-57.69%

Cinema Ticket

$15.96 £11.89

$4.98 MX$86.6

220.48%

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

$1,766 £1,315

$197 MX$3,438

794.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K £17.1K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

330.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 £57.2

$35.60 MX$620

115.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.0 £50.7

$40.33 MX$702

68.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 £74.7

$78.8 MX$1,371

27.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 £71.1

$88.9 MX$1,549

7.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,234 £919

$947 MX$16.5K

30.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 £692

$474 MX$8,254

96.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,773 £1,320

$1,644 MX$28.6K

7.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 £1,035

$1,211 MX$21.1K

14.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,102 £3,054

$4,056 MX$70.6K

1.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,864 £3,621

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-24.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,458 £2,574

$654 MX$11.4K

428.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

11.42

-48.34%

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

Last update for Nottingham: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,234 in Nottingham and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nottingham pays 429% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $68.0 in Nottingham vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $249 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

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

Nottingham and Playa del Carmen differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,264 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 429% higher in Nottingham, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,234 in Nottingham versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Nottingham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $68.0 in Nottingham. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,264 in Nottingham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Nottingham. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Nottingham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.