Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Bradford

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,137 in Bradford, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Bradford, United Kingdom
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Bradford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,137
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Bradford

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Bradford actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,137 in Bradford, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Bradford $2,137

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,090 in Bradford, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Bradford $3,090

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,043 in Bradford, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Bradford $4,043

Playa del Carmen is about 44% cheaper than Bradford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Bradford is 57% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Bradford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$205
$20.93 £15.64
-47.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$815
$71.3 £53.3
-39.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$221
$11.80 £8.82
-0.17%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.6
$3.44 £2.57
10.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$24.10
$2.40 £1.79
-46.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.71
$2.04 £1.53
-61.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.5
$4.65 £3.47
-31.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.7
$4.17 £3.11
18.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Bradford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.43
$1.25 £0.93
12.80%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.66
$1.42 £1.06
56.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.64
$3.74 £2.80
-62.03%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.41
$3.71 £2.77
-32.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$137
$7.92 £5.92
-8.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$145
$7.06 £5.28
9.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$239
$13.98 £10.45
-9.23%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$52.3
$3.15 £2.35
-11.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.71
$2.85 £2.13
-51.93%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.94
$3.52 £2.63
-27.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.90
$3.82 £2.85
-44.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.43
$1.73 £1.29
12.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.44
$1.79 £1.34
5.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.55
$1.15 £0.86
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$22.16
$1.92 £1.43
-38.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.7
$22.78 £17.02
-81.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$187
$9.22 £6.89
7.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.76
$4.80 £3.59
-67.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$50.2
$3.57 £2.67
-25.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Bradford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.40
$2.65 £1.98
-79.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$500
$115 £86.2
-76.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$93.4
$4.36 £3.25
13.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.6
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$101
$33.15 £24.76
-83.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$27.14
$1.99 £1.49
-27.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$388.4K
$38.7K £28.9K
-46.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$441.0K
$39.8K £29.7K
-41.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Bradford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,594
$353 £263
-75.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$440
$26.05 £19.46
-10.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$539
$44.31 £33.11
-35.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Bradford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,072
$35.57 £26.58
60.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$543
$19.79 £14.78
46.08%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$96.6
$17.40 £13.00
-70.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Bradford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,882
$1,596 £1,192
-87.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Bradford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$815
$108 £80.7
-59.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$779
$57.0 £42.59
-27.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,394
$114 £85.1
-34.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,677
$112 £84.0
-20.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Bradford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.4K
$877 £655
11.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,157
$734 £548
-48.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$32.1K
$1,375 £1,027
24.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.2K
$1,123 £839
-4.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$74.1K
$3,947 £2,948
-0.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$115.7K
$2,746 £2,051
124.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Bradford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.8K
$3,443 £2,572
-78.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.53
107.05%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bradford: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Bradford
$734 92.7% $353
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Bradford
$309 21.5% $55
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Bradford
$293 45% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Bradford
$423 209% $286
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Bradford
$176 57.6% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Bradford
$70 4.5% $3.1
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Bradford
$130 * 158% $80

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $877 in Bradford. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bradford are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $71 in Bradford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $309 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇧 Bradford
🕒 Local time
09:36 9:36 AM
14:36 2:36 PM
5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
293,717
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Bradford 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Bradford

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Bradford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Playa del Carmen and in Bradford compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, $2,137 in Bradford – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 44% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Playa del Carmen compared to Bradford?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,205 in Bradford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Playa del Carmen and Bradford?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Bradford, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $877 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 21% more in Bradford, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $71 in Bradford. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Bradford at $2,137. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bradford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Playa del Carmen and Bradford?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $2,137 in Bradford. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Playa del Carmen and Bradford?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bradford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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