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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,056 in Oldham versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,034 in Oldham versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,013 in Oldham versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Oldham is roughly 64% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Oldham is 54% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 £14.88

$11.99 MX$209

66.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.7 £66.8

$41.78 MX$728

114.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 £7.71

$10.75 MX$187

-3.63%

Cappuccino

$4.62 £3.44

$3.50 MX$60.9

32.00%

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

$2.58 £1.92

$1.45 MX$25.22

77.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.31

$0.88 MX$15.41

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 £5.20

$2.95 MX$51.3

136.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 £4.57

$4.51 MX$78.6

35.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.43 MX$24.94

9.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.84 MX$31.99

-2.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 £2.51

$1.57 MX$27.31

114.65%

Eggs

$4.04 £3.01

$2.51 MX$43.74

60.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.45 £7.78

$8.28 MX$144

26.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.73 £7.24

$8.43 MX$147

15.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 £12.99

$10.68 MX$186

63.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 £2.49

$2.61 MX$45.43

27.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 £1.42

$1.44 MX$25.04

31.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 £2.36

$1.96 MX$34.16

61.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.77 £2.81

$2.09 MX$36.47

80.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 £1.35

$1.85 MX$32.24

-2.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 £1.40

$2.17 MX$37.74

-13.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 £0.93

$1.03 MX$17.96

21.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.06

$1.07 MX$18.70

33.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.21 £13.56

$4.10 MX$71.4

344.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 £7.41

$10.17 MX$177

-2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.13

$1.68 MX$29.17

70.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 £2.60

$2.53 MX$43.98

38.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.48 £2.59

$0.51 MX$8.87

582.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 £62.0

$26.04 MX$453

219.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 £4.08

$3.23 MX$56.3

69.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 £1.25

$2.41 MX$41.88

-30.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.64 £25.79

$3.23 MX$56.2

972.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.32 MX$23.00

44.70%

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

$38.1K £28.4K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

28.25%

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

$40.8K £30.4K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

72.39%

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

$303 £225

$82.0 MX$1,428

269.26%

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

$23.26 £17.31

$22.95 MX$400

1.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.37 £32.29

$30.11 MX$524

44.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.92 £34.93

$52.0 MX$905

-9.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 £9.77

$4.98 MX$86.6

163.45%

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

$1,603 £1,194

$197 MX$3,438

712.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,714 £4,999

$5,336 MX$92.9K

25.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.8 £66.9

$35.60 MX$620

152.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 £31.67

$40.33 MX$702

5.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 £67.4

$78.8 MX$1,371

14.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 £54.4

$88.9 MX$1,549

-17.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 £893

$947 MX$16.5K

26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$736 £548

$474 MX$8,254

55.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 £1,079

$1,644 MX$28.6K

-11.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 £806

$1,211 MX$21.1K

-10.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,811 £4,326

$4,056 MX$70.6K

43.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,452 £1,825

$654 MX$11.4K

274.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

11.42

-50.96%

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

Last update for Oldham: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,199 in Oldham and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oldham pays 275% 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: $90.0 in Oldham vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $328 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

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

Oldham and Playa del Carmen differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($2,056 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 275% higher in Oldham, 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: $1,199 in Oldham versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 220% less than in Oldham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,603 in Oldham versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,056 in Oldham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Oldham. 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 64% less than in Oldham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.