Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Crewe

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,219 in Crewe, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Crewe
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,219
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,219 in Crewe, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Crewe $2,219

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,421 in Crewe, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Crewe $3,421

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,623 in Crewe, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Crewe $4,623

Playa del Carmen is about 46% cheaper than Crewe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Crewe is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Crewe
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$26.92 £20.20
-59.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$93.3 £70.0
-52.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$10.35 £7.76
13.62%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$4.93 £3.70
-25.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$2.11 £1.58
-36.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$1.40 £1.05
-41.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$6.62 £4.97
-53.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$5.54 £4.15
-10.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Crewe
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.53 £1.15
-3.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$40.95
$1.18 £0.89
88.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.32
$2.35 £1.77
-37.02%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$45.99
$3.61 £2.71
-31.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$139
$7.79 £5.85
-3.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$147
$8.38 £6.29
-5.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$232
$16.98 £12.74
-25.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.3
$2.64 £1.98
5.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$1.36 £1.02
5.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$2.57 £1.93
1.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.49
$2.84 £2.13
-24.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.38
$1.55 £1.16
30.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.74
$1.61 £1.21
23.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.01
$1.03 £0.78
10.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.18
$1.63 £1.22
-26.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
$23.91 £17.93
-82.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$10.47 £7.85
-4.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.41
$3.00 £2.25
-48.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.17
$3.96 £2.97
-32.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Crewe
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.73
$4.04 £3.03
-86.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$508
$59.8 £44.84
-53.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$90.6
$5.21 £3.91
-5.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$63.5
$3.89 £2.92
-11.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$99.4
$24.17 £18.13
-77.74%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$26.76
$1.98 £1.49
-26.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$391.0K
$37.8K £28.3K
-43.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$425.3K
$39.8K £29.8K
-42.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Crewe
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
$453 £340
-81.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
$15.72 £11.79
49.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
$48.20 £36.16
-41.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Crewe
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,149
$52.2 £39.15
19.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$530
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$94.3
$15.07 £11.31
-66.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Crewe
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
$1,177 £883
-82.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
$20.0K £15.0K
-80.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Crewe
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
$107 £80.2
-58.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
$33.85 £25.40
22.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
$82.1 £61.6
-11.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
$97.1 £72.8
-7.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Crewe
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.1K
$828 £621
18.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,887
$724 £543
-48.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.1K
$1,767 £1,326
-4.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
$1,519 £1,139
-27.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
$3,298 £2,474
19.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
$3,360 £2,521
82.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Crewe
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
$2,977 £2,234
-75.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.55
106.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Crewe: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Crewe
$724 94.1% $351
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Crewe
$288 11.6% $30
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Crewe
$364 81.7% $164
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Crewe
$517 277% $379
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Crewe
$144 29% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Crewe
$82 13.7% $9.9
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Crewe
$101 94.6% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $828 in Crewe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 304% higher in Crewe, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $93.0 in Crewe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $288 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇧 Crewe
🕒 Local time
12:16 12:16 PM
18:16 6:16 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
75,556
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 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 Crewe 7,840 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Crewe

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 Crewe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Crewe?
Crewe costs about 84% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Playa del Carmen and in Crewe?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,329 in Crewe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Playa del Carmen or Crewe?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Crewe?
Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,177 in Crewe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Playa del Carmen or in Crewe?
Groceries cost about 12% more in Crewe, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Crewe?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Crewe at $2,219. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Crewe it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Playa del Carmen or Crewe?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,204 versus $2,219 in Crewe. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Playa del Carmen compared to Crewe?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Playa del Carmen or to Crewe?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Crewe makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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