Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Carmarthen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,326 in Carmarthen, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Carmarthen
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,326
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Carmarthen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,326 in Carmarthen.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,210
  • Carmarthen $2,326

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,066 in Carmarthen.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,113
  • Carmarthen $3,066

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,806 in Carmarthen.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,016
  • Carmarthen $3,806

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 48% less than in Carmarthen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 10% below, Carmarthen is 72% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Carmarthen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.76 MX$199
$20.88 £15.66
-48.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.03 MX$795
$65.2 £48.93
-34.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$218
$9.20 £6.90
28.15%
Cappuccino
$3.87 MX$71.4
$3.56 £2.67
8.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 MX$25.29
$2.45 £1.84
-44.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MX$15.44
$1.67 £1.26
-49.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.10 MX$57.3
$5.41 £4.06
-42.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.07 MX$93.6
$4.61 £3.45
9.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Carmarthen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.55
$1.50 £1.12
-4.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.23 MX$41.23
$1.19 £0.89
87.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.99 £1.49
-26.13%
Eggs
$2.53 MX$46.71
$4.37 £3.28
-42.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.30 MX$135
$8.13 £6.10
-10.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.86 MX$145
$9.36 £7.02
-16.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.79 MX$236
$12.99 £9.75
-1.54%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$53.6
$3.06 £2.30
-5.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.53
$1.79 £1.34
-19.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.07
$2.58 £1.93
-1.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.06 MX$38.03
$4.19 £3.14
-50.84%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$36.97
$2.04 £1.53
-1.96%
Onion (1kg)
$2.01 MX$37.07
$1.50 £1.12
34.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 MX$22.02
$1.25 £0.94
-4.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 MX$23.23
$1.98 £1.49
-36.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.40 MX$81.4
$23.59 £17.70
-81.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.59 MX$177
$10.63 £7.97
-9.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.41
$2.74 £2.06
-41.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 MX$51.9
$3.61 £2.71
-22.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Carmarthen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.47
$4.50 £3.38
-87.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.82 MX$514
$97.2 £72.9
-71.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.98 MX$92.1
$3.35 £2.51
48.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.50 MX$64.6
$1.60 £1.20
118.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.40 MX$99.8
$26.36 £19.78
-79.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.08
$1.85 £1.39
-20.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.8K
$38.7K £29.0K
-45.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.9K MX$441.8K
$39.7K £29.8K
-39.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Carmarthen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.2 MX$1,556
$316 £237
-73.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.99 MX$443
$16.79 £12.60
42.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.02 MX$536
$38.88 £29.17
-25.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Carmarthen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$63.0 MX$1,164
$46.38 £34.80
35.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.14 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.94 MX$91.3
$13.66 £10.25
-63.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Carmarthen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$204 MX$3,763
$2,223 £1,668
-90.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,941 MX$72.8K
$24.8K £18.6K
-84.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Carmarthen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.60 MX$806
$98.6 £74.0
-55.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.12 MX$797
$48.36 £36.28
-10.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 MX$1,400
$108 £81.3
-30.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.6 MX$1,637
$98.0 £73.6
-9.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Carmarthen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 MX$18.6K
$1,200 £900
-15.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$374 MX$6,911
$1,004 £753
-62.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.6K
$1,272 £954
34.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,106 MX$20.4K
$1,047 £785
5.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,944 MX$72.9K
$5,108 £3,832
-22.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,169 MX$114.0K
$3,890 £2,918
58.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Carmarthen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$754 MX$13.9K
$1,998 £1,499
-62.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4.87
135.11%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Carmarthen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$374
Carmarthen
$1K 169% $630
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Carmarthen
$300 16% $41
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Carmarthen
$290 43.4% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Carmarthen
$372 171% $235
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$113
Carmarthen
$159 40.7% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$73
Carmarthen
$74 1.2% $0.8
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$53
Carmarthen
$127 141% $74

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $1,200 in Carmarthen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carmarthen pays 165% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $65.0 in Carmarthen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $300 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇧 Carmarthen
🕒 Local time
13:54 1:54 PM
19:54 7:54 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
14,185
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Carmarthen 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Carmarthen

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 Carmarthen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carmarthen cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Playa del Carmen or Carmarthen?
On paper, salaries run 165% lower in Carmarthen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Playa del Carmen and Carmarthen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,200 in Carmarthen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Carmarthen?
Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Carmarthen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Carmarthen?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $65.0 in Carmarthen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Carmarthen?
At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,326 in Carmarthen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Carmarthen. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Playa del Carmen or Carmarthen more family-friendly?
For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Carmarthen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Carmarthen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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