Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and English Harbour

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,366 in English Harbour, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

English Harbour

🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda

$2,366

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in English Harbour

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,366 in English Harbour, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
English Harbour $2,366

Playa del Carmen is about 49% cheaper than English Harbour.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while English Harbour is 74% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$805

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$70.7

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

$1.28 MX$23.81

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$58.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.7

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.12

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.32

Eggs

$2.52 MX$46.85

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.7

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.41

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.37

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.43

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.00

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.02

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.8

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.41

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.28

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.3

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$61.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.82

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

$20.7K MX$383.8K

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

$23.5K MX$435.8K

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

$84.8 MX$1,575

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

$23.41 MX$435

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$532

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,059

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$537

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.4

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

$207 MX$3,836

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$72.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$805

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$770

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,378

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,657

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

$3,052 EC$8,240

-67.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,072

$2,366 EC$6,388

-83.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.7K

$3,538 EC$9,552

-51.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.2K

$5,927 EC$16.0K

-33.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for English Harbour: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

English Harbour

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

English Harbour

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

English Harbour

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

English Harbour

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

English Harbour

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

English Harbour

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

English Harbour

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,052 in English Harbour. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇦🇬 English Harbour

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

778

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.02 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen English Harbour 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
English Harbour

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 English Harbour: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,549 in English Harbour. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $3,052 in English Harbour.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in English Harbour at $2,366. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in English Harbour 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 $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $2,366 in English Harbour. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.