Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ipswich Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Ipswich

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,318 in Ipswich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,487 in Ipswich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,657 in Ipswich.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 44% less than in Ipswich, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Ipswich is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$21.46 £15.88

-45.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$107 £79.5

-56.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$10.64 £7.87

9.49%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$5.83 £4.31

-29.85%

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

$1.37 MX$23.21

$1.70 £1.26

-19.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.08

$1.88 £1.39

-55.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$6.94 £5.13

-51.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$6.97 £5.16

-0.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.16

$1.72 £1.27

0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.17

$1.65 £1.22

36.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.88

$1.65 £1.22

7.27%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.14

$4.45 £3.29

-38.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$13.07 £9.67

-29.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$8.99 £6.65

-0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$15.62 £11.55

-19.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$3.29 £2.43

-8.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.52

$1.50 £1.11

4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.89

$2.75 £2.03

-22.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.23

$3.20 £2.37

-29.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.84

$1.64 £1.21

21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.86

$1.51 £1.12

36.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.92

$1.48 £1.10

-20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.33

$1.50 £1.11

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$23.79 £17.60

-80.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$10.97 £8.11

-2.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.35

$2.73 £2.02

-40.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.65

$3.68 £2.72

-21.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$2.98 £2.21

-80.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

$86.8 £64.2

-65.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.0

$5.64 £4.17

-3.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$2.05 £1.52

80.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$34.42 £25.46

-82.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.23

$1.89 £1.40

-17.99%

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

$22.3K MX$377.0K

$38.6K £28.6K

-42.18%

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

$25.9K MX$438.2K

$41.3K £30.6K

-37.21%

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

$89.1 MX$1,505

$373 £276

-76.08%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$15.91 £11.77

57.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$41.73 £30.87

-24.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$34.46 £25.49

96.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$7.96 £5.89

263.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$18.38 £13.60

-72.52%

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

$225 MX$3,798

$1,064 £788

-78.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$20.4K £15.1K

-79.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$71.3 £52.8

-33.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$56.0 £41.39

-19.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$82.3 £60.9

-0.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$69.8 £51.6

31.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$1,089 £806

-1.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,844

$976 £722

-58.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$1,447 £1,071

33.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$1,566 £1,158

-16.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

$5,170 £3,825

-22.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.9K

$3,994 £2,955

65.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

$3,034 £2,245

-75.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.64

146.77%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $1,089 in Ipswich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipswich pays 305% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $107 in Ipswich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $316 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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 Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Ipswich differ by about 79% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $2,318 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 305% lower in Ipswich. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,089 in Ipswich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 191% less than in Ipswich. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,064 in Ipswich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,318 in Ipswich, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Ipswich. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Ipswich are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Ipswich. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.