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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,127 per month in Oban vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,158 per month in Oban vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,188 per month in Oban vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Oban costs about 64% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Oban sits 55% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.37 £12.11

$11.71 MX$198

39.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 £64.3

$46.59 MX$787

86.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.58 £7.09

$11.65 MX$197

-17.77%

Cappuccino

$4.79 £3.54

$4.09 MX$69.1

17.11%

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

$2.30 £1.70

$1.37 MX$23.21

67.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 £1.47

$0.83 MX$14.08

139.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 £4.46

$3.35 MX$56.6

80.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 £3.70

$6.91 MX$117

-27.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 £1.19

$1.73 MX$29.16

-6.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 £1.35

$2.26 MX$38.17

-19.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.77 MX$29.88

7.34%

Eggs

$4.45 £3.29

$2.73 MX$46.14

63.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.92 £6.60

$9.18 MX$155

-2.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.48 £9.24

$8.92 MX$151

39.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.67 £12.33

$12.60 MX$213

32.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 £2.16

$3.02 MX$51.0

-3.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 £1.04

$1.57 MX$26.52

-10.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 £2.12

$2.13 MX$35.89

34.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 £2.91

$2.26 MX$38.23

74.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 £1.36

$2.00 MX$33.84

-8.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.13

$2.06 MX$34.86

-25.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.18 MX$19.92

10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.20 MX$20.33

43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.46 £15.88

$4.63 MX$78.3

363.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.38 £8.42

$10.69 MX$180

6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 £2.00

$1.62 MX$27.35

67.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 £2.29

$2.88 MX$48.65

7.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 £2.63

$0.57 MX$9.68

524.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.8 £61.2

$29.83 MX$504

177.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 £2.92

$5.45 MX$92.0

-27.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 £1.82

$3.70 MX$62.6

-33.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.58 £18.18

$5.98 MX$101

311.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.53

$1.55 MX$26.23

33.55%

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

$39.6K £29.3K

$22.3K MX$377.0K

77.41%

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

$42.0K £31.0K

$25.9K MX$438.2K

61.69%

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

$344 £255

$89.1 MX$1,505

286.26%

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

$29.13 £21.55

$25.04 MX$423

16.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.95 £32.51

$31.50 MX$532

39.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.93 £34.72

$67.8 MX$1,145

-30.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.94 £5.14

$28.92 MX$488

-76.00%

Cinema Ticket

$11.72 £8.67

$5.05 MX$85.3

132.08%

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

$1,840 £1,361

$225 MX$3,798

717.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K £17.5K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

460.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.2 £71.9

$47.44 MX$801

104.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 £37.23

$44.98 MX$759

11.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 £79.5

$82.0 MX$1,384

31.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 £86.3

$92.1 MX$1,555

26.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 £926

$1,069 MX$18.1K

17.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 £586

$405 MX$6,844

95.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,087 £1,544

$1,935 MX$32.7K

7.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 £920

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-4.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,217 £3,860

$3,995 MX$67.5K

30.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,972 £2,938

$6,626 MX$111.9K

-40.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,179 £2,352

$749 MX$12.6K

324.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.11

11.45

-55.37%

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

Last update for Oban: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,252 in Oban versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 325% higher in Oban, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Oban versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $277 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,127 in Oban, $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 64% apart. Oban costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,191 per month in Oban and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Oban, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $87.0 in Oban and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Oban at $2,127. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oban it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,293 in Playa del Carmen to $2,127 in Oban. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Oban makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.