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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,220 in Caernarfon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,734 in Caernarfon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,247 in Caernarfon.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Caernarfon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Caernarfon 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$13.45 £9.94

-11.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$93.0 £68.8

-49.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$9.36 £6.92

25.53%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$4.04 £2.99

1.98%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.63 £1.94

-46.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.88 £1.39

-51.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$4.96 £3.66

-35.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.16 £3.07

69.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.86 £1.37

-9.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.81 £1.34

18.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.19 £1.62

-19.18%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.50 £1.85

12.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.38 £8.41

-19.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$7.24 £5.35

27.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$15.33 £11.33

-17.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.52 £1.86

17.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.39 £1.02

13.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.32 £0.98

68.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$1.37 £1.01

72.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.63 £1.20

22.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.80 £1.33

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.42 £1.05

-12.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$1.58 £1.17

-23.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$22.30 £16.48

-79.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$9.32 £6.89

12.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$3.62 £2.68

-53.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.38 £2.50

-18.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$5.80 £4.28

-89.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$68.4 £50.6

-56.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$5.11 £3.78

2.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$2.39 £1.77

52.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$24.85 £18.37

-76.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$2.01 £1.49

-23.38%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$38.5K £28.4K

-40.76%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$40.8K £30.1K

-36.68%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$324 £239

-71.98%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$22.63 £16.73

11.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$40.92 £30.25

-22.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$30.28 £22.38

127.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$16.12 £11.91

-69.85%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$1,624 £1,200

-86.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$24.4K £18.0K

-82.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$109 £80.9

-56.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$51.1 £37.80

-15.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$106 £78.5

-24.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$80.4 £59.5

13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$657 £486

65.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$1,614 £1,193

-20.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$3,616 £2,673

-78.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.09

124.95%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Caernarfon: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $657 in Caernarfon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Caernarfon pays 368% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $93.0 in Caernarfon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $281 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

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

Caernarfon is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 368% lower in Caernarfon. 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $657 in Caernarfon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Caernarfon – a meal for two runs $93.0 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,220 in Caernarfon – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,220 in Caernarfon versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caernarfon but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Caernarfon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Caernarfon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Caernarfon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.