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 $3,292 per month in Oxford vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,651 per month in Oxford vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,009 per month in Oxford vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Oxford costs about 160% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Oxford sits 141% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.19 £18.82

$11.60 MX$200

117.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 £79.0

$47.11 MX$812

124.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 £8.15

$11.88 MX$205

-8.16%

Cappuccino

$5.19 £3.88

$3.98 MX$68.6

30.40%

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

$4.39 £3.28

$1.43 MX$24.60

206.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 £1.75

$0.82 MX$14.22

185.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.98 £6.71

$3.19 MX$55.0

181.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.60 £6.43

$6.79 MX$117

26.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.68 MX$28.89

2.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 £1.23

$2.20 MX$37.88

-25.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.71 MX$29.45

15.20%

Eggs

$4.27 £3.19

$2.74 MX$47.26

55.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.72 £11.00

$9.58 MX$165

53.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.55 £6.39

$9.01 MX$155

-5.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.11 £11.29

$12.81 MX$221

17.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 £2.57

$2.89 MX$49.81

19.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.50 MX$25.81

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 £2.25

$2.15 MX$37.03

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 £2.70

$2.26 MX$38.96

59.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.98 MX$34.15

-10.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 £1.38

$1.99 MX$34.30

-7.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.23 MX$21.28

-2.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 £1.29

$1.20 MX$20.63

44.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.34 £18.19

$4.55 MX$78.5

434.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.30 £8.45

$10.37 MX$179

8.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 £2.53

$1.62 MX$27.91

108.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 £2.75

$2.88 MX$49.67

27.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.06 £3.04

$0.60 MX$10.35

576.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 £81.7

$28.80 MX$497

279.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 £3.92

$5.39 MX$92.9

-2.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.18 £2.38

$3.73 MX$64.3

-14.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.85 £31.28

$5.77 MX$99.5

625.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 £1.53

$1.54 MX$26.48

32.47%

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

$38.6K £28.8K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

71.10%

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

$41.7K £31.2K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

60.00%

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

$366 £273

$91.4 MX$1,576

300.03%

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

$18.43 £13.77

$25.20 MX$435

-26.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.45 £33.97

$31.24 MX$539

45.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.19 £34.52

$67.2 MX$1,159

-31.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 £8.76

$29.11 MX$502

-59.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.53 £10.86

$4.86 MX$83.8

198.97%

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

$2,401 £1,794

$224 MX$3,856

973.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K £11.7K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

269.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.1 £72.5

$47.10 MX$812

106.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.36 £35.39

$44.29 MX$764

6.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 £78.1

$80.1 MX$1,381

30.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 £78.5

$92.7 MX$1,598

13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 £1,713

$1,063 MX$18.3K

115.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 £1,278

$390 MX$6,728

338.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,361 £2,512

$2,149 MX$37.1K

56.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 £1,995

$1,272 MX$21.9K

109.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,071 £6,031

$4,001 MX$69.0K

101.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,794 £5,077

$6,502 MX$112.1K

4.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,039 £3,018

$758 MX$13.1K

432.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.79

11.45

-58.17%

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

Last update for Oxford: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,292 in Oxford versus $1,063 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 433% 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 $106 in Oxford versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $276 – 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 160% 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 $4,938 per month in Oxford and $1,899 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 $106 in Oxford and $47.00 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 $3,292 in Oxford and $1,266 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 $1,266, than in Oxford at $3,292. 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 $1,266 versus $3,292 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.