Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and East London Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and East London

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,045 in East London, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,696 in East London, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,347 in East London, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 21% more than East London, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and East London are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 7% lower, East London 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$9.32 R 151

24.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$38.27 R 622

23.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$5.78 R 93.9

105.54%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.12 R 34.49

87.74%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.09 R 17.65

31.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.80 R 12.94

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.84 R 46.18

12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$3.17 R 51.6

114.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.20 R 19.56

40.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.99 R 16.04

122.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.50 R 24.32

14.00%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.21 R 35.95

23.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.02 R 147

6.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.54 R 90.0

62.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$8.48 R 138

51.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$1.50 R 24.43

92.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.58 R 25.75

-5.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.74 R 28.25

23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$1.54 R 25.01

46.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.71 R 27.77

15.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.47 R 23.85

35.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.20 R 19.53

2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.92 R 14.95

30.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$2.92 R 47.46

55.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$4.99 R 81.1

107.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.31 R 21.25

23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$1.81 R 29.40

59.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

$1.52 R 24.78

-60.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

$48.19 R 783

-40.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$1.21 R 19.59

345.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$0.50 R 8.16

646.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$8.50 R 138

-32.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.33 R 21.66

15.79%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$36.2K R 588.0K

-37.66%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$29.4K R 478.3K

-11.44%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$124 R 2,018

-26.40%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$33.92 R 551

-25.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$44.33 R 721

-29.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

$39.59 R 644

69.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$4.82 R 78.4

0.83%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$179 R 2,913

24.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$5,458 R 88.7K

-22.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$58.6 R 952

-19.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$34.33 R 558

29.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$73.0 R 1,187

9.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$100 R 1,626

-7.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$294 R 4,787

260.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$255 R 4,141

53.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$548 R 8,916

291.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$655 R 10.7K

94.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,704 R 27.7K

-55.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.09%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for East London: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $294 in East London. 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 125% higher in East London, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $38.00 in East London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $193 – making East London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 East London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, $1,045 in East London – roughly 21% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,567 in East London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $179 in East London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $1,045, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,045 in East London to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with East London. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.