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 $1,262 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,076 in East London, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,158 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,570 in East London, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,054 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,064 in East London, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 17% more than East London, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and East London are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, East London 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$6.90 R 113

68.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$31.33 R 514

36.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$4.61 R 75.6

129.93%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$2.02 R 33.20

77.72%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.99 R 16.18

46.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.88 R 14.36

2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$2.57 R 42.20

17.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$3.02 R 49.45

50.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$1.07 R 17.54

35.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$0.90 R 14.77

103.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$1.96 R 32.16

-17.86%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$2.13 R 35.00

19.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$9.30 R 152

-8.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$4.06 R 66.6

108.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$7.35 R 121

47.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$1.58 R 25.84

72.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$2.15 R 35.30

-30.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$1.39 R 22.76

39.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$1.48 R 24.32

45.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$1.49 R 24.37

24.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$1.42 R 23.32

54.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$1.06 R 17.38

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.92 R 15.10

17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$2.62 R 42.98

54.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$4.75 R 77.9

120.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$1.76 R 28.81

-6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$2.53 R 41.46

0.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.73 R 11.96

-23.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$21.51 R 353

21.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$1.09 R 17.94

188.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.94 R 15.35

152.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$4.06 R 66.6

-20.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.28 R 20.93

2.34%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$35.7K R 585.8K

-14.50%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$21.9K R 358.8K

8.90%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$198 R 3,243

-57.95%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$30.90 R 507

-28.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$45.08 R 739

-34.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$33.27 R 546

53.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$1.42 R 23.33

1216.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$3.66 R 60.0

33.61%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$119 R 1,957

66.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$4,233 R 69.4K

23.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$51.8 R 850

-30.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$28.88 R 474

36.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$105 R 1,725

-23.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$85.2 R 1,396

2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$270 R 4,432

256.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$297 R 4,867

62.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$509 R 8,351

223.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$544 R 8,922

119.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$1,685 R 27.6K

-56.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

3.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Last update for East London: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $270 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 132% 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $31 in East London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $186 – 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: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, $1,076 in East London – roughly 17% apart. Playa del Carmen costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,894 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,614 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 $199 per month in Playa del Carmen and $119 in East London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 36% 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 $1,076, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,262. 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 $1,076 in East London to $1,262 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.