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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,972 in Livingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,136 in Livingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,300 in Livingston.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 36% less than in Livingston, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 7% below, Livingston is 44% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$20.35 £15.23

-43.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$100.0 £74.9

-52.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$10.92 £8.18

8.79%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$5.31 £3.97

-25.05%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$2.71 £2.03

-47.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$2.43 £1.82

-66.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$6.92 £5.18

-53.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$6.90 £5.17

-1.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.46 £1.10

15.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$1.92 £1.43

14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$2.30 £1.72

-25.65%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$3.66 £2.74

-25.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$9.31 £6.97

2.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$9.17 £6.86

-1.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$14.91 £11.17

-14.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$3.03 £2.27

-4.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.66 £1.24

-9.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$2.82 £2.11

-23.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$3.66 £2.74

-38.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$1.66 £1.24

19.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$1.45 £1.08

37.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$1.17 £0.87

5.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$1.58 £1.18

-24.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$22.46 £16.81

-79.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$10.61 £7.94

-2.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$3.10 £2.32

-47.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$3.27 £2.45

-11.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$5.47 £4.09

-1.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$1.65 £1.23

126.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$28.53 £21.36

-79.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$2.13 £1.59

-27.70%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$38.9K £29.1K

-42.04%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$41.7K £31.3K

-37.58%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$335 £251

-72.74%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$16.74 £12.54

50.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$41.86 £31.34

-25.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$10.85 £8.12

-55.21%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$1,227 £918

-81.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$17.7K £13.3K

-76.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$94.5 £70.7

-50.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$48.21 £36.10

-8.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$109 £82.0

-26.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$96.5 £72.2

-3.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$875 £655

21.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

$768 £575

-49.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

$1,918 £1,436

12.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$1,544 £1,156

-17.60%

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

$4,088 £3,061

-81.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

5.15

122.33%

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 Livingston: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $875 in Livingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Livingston pays 439% 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 $100 in Livingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $305 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 Livingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Livingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 439% lower in Livingston. 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $875 in Livingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Livingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,972 in Livingston – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,972 in Livingston, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Livingston. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Livingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.