Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nottingham and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,333 in Nottingham, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nottingham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,333
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,333 in Nottingham versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Nottingham $2,333
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,341 in Nottingham versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Nottingham $3,341
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,349 in Nottingham versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Nottingham $4,349
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Nottingham is roughly 94% 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: Nottingham is 72% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nottingham
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.77 £14.83
$10.86 MX$201
82.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.3 £56.5
$44.21 MX$817
70.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.67 £8.00
$11.76 MX$217
-9.27%
Cappuccino
$4.47 £3.35
$3.68 MX$68.0
21.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 £1.84
$1.34 MX$24.79
82.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 £1.32
$0.82 MX$15.24
114.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.80 £5.10
$3.06 MX$56.6
122.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.75 £5.06
$4.94 MX$91.2
36.64%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nottingham
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.85 £1.39
$1.47 MX$27.17
25.85%
White Bread (500g)
$1.54 £1.16
$2.22 MX$40.95
-30.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.25 £1.69
$1.48 MX$27.32
52.03%
Eggs
$5.07 £3.81
$2.49 MX$45.99
103.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.00 £6.00
$7.52 MX$139
6.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.15 £6.86
$7.96 MX$147
14.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.99 £11.25
$12.57 MX$232
19.25%
Apples (1kg)
$2.88 £2.16
$2.78 MX$51.3
3.60%
Banana (1kg)
$1.81 £1.36
$1.43 MX$26.37
26.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.72 £2.79
$2.62 MX$48.37
41.98%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.56 £2.67
$2.14 MX$39.49
66.36%
Potato (1kg)
$2.03 £1.52
$2.02 MX$37.38
0.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 £1.51
$1.99 MX$36.74
1.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.35 £1.01
$1.14 MX$21.01
18.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 £1.38
$1.20 MX$22.18
53.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$21.94 £16.46
$4.26 MX$78.7
415.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.38 £10.04
$10.02 MX$185
33.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.33 £2.50
$1.54 MX$28.41
116.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.27 £3.95
$2.66 MX$49.17
98.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Nottingham
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.07 £3.05
$0.53 MX$9.73
667.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$107 £80.1
$27.51 MX$508
288.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.69 £2.02
$4.90 MX$90.6
-45.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.45 £1.09
$3.43 MX$63.5
-57.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.19 £18.90
$5.38 MX$99.4
368.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 £1.57
$1.45 MX$26.76
44.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K £29.2K
$21.2K MX$391.0K
83.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.8K £30.6K
$23.0K MX$425.3K
77.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nottingham
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$292 £219
$85.4 MX$1,577
242.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.45 £14.59
$23.46 MX$434
-17.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.70 £30.54
$28.43 MX$525
43.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nottingham
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.98 £31.49
$62.2 MX$1,149
-32.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.75 £15.56
$28.68 MX$530
-27.65%
Cinema Ticket
$16.19 £12.15
$5.10 MX$94.3
217.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nottingham
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,809 £1,357
$201 MX$3,715
799.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.6K £20.7K
$3,947 MX$72.9K
599.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nottingham
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.0 £64.5
$44.39 MX$820
93.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$60.2 £45.15
$41.35 MX$764
45.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$110 £82.4
$72.7 MX$1,344
50.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 £77.2
$89.6 MX$1,656
14.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nottingham
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,204 £903
$979 MX$18.1K
22.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$976 £732
$373 MX$6,887
161.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,938 £1,454
$1,681 MX$31.1K
15.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,427 £1,070
$1,095 MX$20.2K
30.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,089 £3,067
$3,949 MX$73.0K
3.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,888 £3,667
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-20.34%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nottingham
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,160 £2,371
$738 MX$13.6K
328.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.09
11.45
-55.55%

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

Last update for Nottingham: October 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nottingham
$976
Playa del Carmen
$373 61.8% $603
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nottingham
$352
Playa del Carmen
$137 61.1% $215
Groceries & Markets
Nottingham
$327
Playa del Carmen
$258 21.1% $69
Eating Out
Nottingham
$308
Playa del Carmen
$200 35% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Nottingham
$162
Playa del Carmen
$112 30.9% $50
Getting Around
Nottingham
$133
Playa del Carmen
$52 61.1% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Nottingham
$74
Playa del Carmen
$72 2.6% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,204 in Nottingham and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nottingham pays 328% 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: $75.0 in Nottingham vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Nottingham
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
11:50 11:50 AM
05:50 5:50 AM
6 h behind Nottingham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
305,700
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nottingham Playa del Carmen 7,920 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nottingham
  • 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
Nottingham vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Nottingham and in Playa del Carmen?
Nottingham and Playa del Carmen differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($2,333 vs $1,204 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Nottingham or Playa del Carmen?
Average pay runs 328% higher in Nottingham, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Nottingham and in Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,204 in Nottingham versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Nottingham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $75.0 in Nottingham. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,333 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.
How does quality of life compare between Nottingham and 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.
Where should expats move: Nottingham or Playa del Carmen?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Nottingham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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