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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,993 per month in Oxford vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,387 per month in Oxford vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,781 per month in Oxford vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Oxford costs about 138% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Oxford sits 124% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 £15.05

$11.99 MX$210

68.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 £58.7

$41.78 MX$731

88.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 £7.73

$10.75 MX$188

-3.26%

Cappuccino

$4.79 £3.56

$3.50 MX$61.1

36.86%

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

$2.29 £1.70

$1.45 MX$25.33

57.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.34

$0.88 MX$15.47

104.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 £6.00

$2.95 MX$51.6

173.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 £5.51

$4.51 MX$78.9

64.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.43 MX$25.04

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.84 MX$32.13

-9.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 £2.09

$1.57 MX$27.42

78.98%

Eggs

$5.26 £3.91

$2.51 MX$43.92

109.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.73 £10.95

$8.28 MX$145

77.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 £6.99

$8.43 MX$147

11.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.29 £10.62

$10.68 MX$187

33.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 £3.06

$2.61 MX$45.62

57.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.44 MX$25.15

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.17 £2.35

$1.96 MX$34.31

61.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 £4.12

$2.09 MX$36.62

165.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.85 MX$32.37

-9.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 £1.47

$2.17 MX$37.90

-8.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 £0.76

$1.03 MX$18.04

-0.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 £1.54

$1.07 MX$18.78

94.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.74 £14.67

$4.10 MX$71.7

381.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 £8.24

$10.17 MX$178

9.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 £2.57

$1.68 MX$29.29

105.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 £3.30

$2.53 MX$44.17

75.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 £2.60

$0.51 MX$8.90

584.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 £82.7

$26.04 MX$455

327.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 £6.14

$3.23 MX$56.5

155.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 £1.38

$2.41 MX$42.06

-22.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.45 £25.61

$3.23 MX$56.5

966.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.32 MX$23.10

43.94%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$29.7K MX$519.2K

29.38%

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

$44.4K £33.0K

$23.7K MX$413.7K

87.46%

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

$387 £288

$82.0 MX$1,434

371.89%

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

$18.26 £13.58

$22.95 MX$401

-20.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.32 £35.18

$30.11 MX$527

57.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 £42.55

$52.0 MX$909

10.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.22 £9.08

$18.53 MX$324

-34.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 £10.96

$4.98 MX$87.0

196.18%

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

$1,782 £1,325

$197 MX$3,452

802.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$53.4K £39.7K

$5,336 MX$93.3K

901.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.8 £71.2

$35.60 MX$622

169.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 £39.38

$40.33 MX$705

31.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 £68.8

$78.8 MX$1,377

17.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 £88.1

$88.9 MX$1,555

33.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 £1,609

$947 MX$16.6K

128.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,517 £1,128

$474 MX$8,288

220.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,490 £2,595

$1,644 MX$28.7K

112.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,544 £1,891

$1,211 MX$21.2K

110.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,172 £6,075

$4,056 MX$70.9K

101.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,738 £5,009

$6,470 MX$113.1K

4.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 £2,961

$654 MX$11.4K

509.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

11.42

-49.74%

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

Last update for Oxford: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,165 in Oxford versus $947 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 509% higher in Oxford, 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 $79.0 in Oxford versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $360 vs $249 – 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

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

Oxford costs about 138% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,489 per month in Oxford and $1,884 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Oxford and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,993 in Oxford and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Oxford at $2,993. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Oxford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,256 versus $2,993 in Oxford. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Oxford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.