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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,519 in Andover.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,522 in Andover.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,526 in Andover.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 49% less than in Andover, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Andover is 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$12.94 £9.57

-9.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$41.27 £30.53

12.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$10.97 £8.11

6.20%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$4.92 £3.64

-16.87%

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

$1.37 MX$23.21

$1.98 £1.46

-30.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.08

$1.52 £1.12

-45.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$4.49 £3.32

-25.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$5.74 £4.25

20.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.16

$1.80 £1.33

-3.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.17

$1.64 £1.21

37.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.88

$1.97 £1.46

-10.15%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.14

$4.18 £3.09

-34.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$12.16 £8.99

-24.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$8.72 £6.45

2.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$15.21 £11.26

-17.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$3.54 £2.62

-14.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.52

$1.72 £1.27

-8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.89

$2.68 £1.99

-20.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.23

$3.05 £2.25

-25.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.84

$1.77 £1.31

12.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.86

$1.33 £0.98

54.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.92

$1.27 £0.94

-7.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.33

$1.74 £1.28

-31.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$22.58 £16.71

-79.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$11.06 £8.18

-3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.35

$2.77 £2.05

-41.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.65

$1.99 £1.47

44.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$3.47 £2.57

-83.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$49.08 £36.31

-39.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.0

$5.06 £3.74

7.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$3.28 £2.43

12.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$42.24 £31.25

-85.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.23

$1.96 £1.45

-20.92%

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

$22.3K MX$377.0K

$36.7K £27.2K

-39.21%

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

$25.9K MX$438.2K

$41.2K £30.5K

-37.04%

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

$89.1 MX$1,505

$345 £255

-74.17%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$17.90 £13.24

39.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$44.96 £33.26

-29.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$45.07 £33.34

50.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$9.60 £7.10

201.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$15.13 £11.19

-66.62%

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

$225 MX$3,798

$2,324 £1,720

-90.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$16.0K £11.8K

-73.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$87.8 £65.0

-45.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$47.88 £35.42

-6.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$96.1 £71.1

-14.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$66.3 £49.06

38.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$1,469 £1,087

-27.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,844

$1,324 £979

-69.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,901 £1,406

1.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$2,041 £1,510

-36.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$3,028 £2,240

-75.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.25

169.41%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Andover: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $1,469 in Andover. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Andover pays 304% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $41.00 in Andover. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $313, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Playa del Carmen and Andover differ by about 95% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $2,519 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 304% lower in Andover. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,469 in Andover. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,293 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,519 in Andover – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 65% less than in Andover. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,519 in Andover, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Andover. 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Andover are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Andover. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.