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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,422 in Cardiff.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,441 in Cardiff.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,459 in Cardiff.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 46% less than in Cardiff, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Cardiff is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$20.31 £15.13

-42.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$86.7 £64.5

-51.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$10.72 £7.99

-0.75%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$4.67 £3.48

-24.63%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$2.47 £1.84

-38.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$1.71 £1.27

-43.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$6.76 £5.03

-56.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$6.22 £4.64

-28.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.94 £1.44

-28.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$1.73 £1.29

9.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$2.99 £2.23

-45.15%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$4.65 £3.46

-46.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$10.18 £7.59

-18.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$8.98 £6.69

-7.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$9.59 £7.14

11.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$2.85 £2.13

-8.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.60 £1.19

-8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$3.22 £2.40

-40.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$5.62 £4.18

-62.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$1.71 £1.27

4.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$1.53 £1.14

43.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$1.14 £0.85

-8.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$1.66 £1.24

-34.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$19.98 £14.88

-79.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

$11.21 £8.35

-7.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$3.29 £2.45

-48.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$3.66 £2.72

-29.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$3.16 £2.35

-83.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$77.5 £57.7

-65.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$4.16 £3.10

-21.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$2.58 £1.92

-3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$20.27 £15.10

-83.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.92 £1.43

-31.77%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$37.8K £28.1K

-19.84%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$54.5K £40.6K

-57.01%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$294 £219

-71.82%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$20.08 £14.95

10.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$43.76 £32.59

-32.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$38.71 £28.83

33.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$8.51 £6.34

115.28%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$7.67 £5.71

-33.90%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$1,987 £1,480

-89.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$33.6K £25.1K

-84.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$69.7 £51.9

-46.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$36.31 £27.04

9.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$73.2 £54.5

7.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$66.3 £49.40

31.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$1,333 £993

-27.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$1,142 £851

-59.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$2,538 £1,890

-35.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$1,658 £1,235

-26.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

$5,553 £4,136

-28.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

$3,455 £2,573

88.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$3,236 £2,410

-79.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

90.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cardiff: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $1,333 in Cardiff. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 387% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $87.0 in Cardiff for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $315 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 Cardiff: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Cardiff differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $2,422 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Cardiff earns 387% less. 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,333 in Cardiff. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,422 in Cardiff – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,422 in Cardiff, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Cardiff. 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 Cardiff 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 87% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.