Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Macclessfield

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,126 in Macclessfield, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Macclessfield
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,126
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Macclessfield

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,126 in Macclessfield.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Macclessfield $2,126

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,102 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,070 in Macclessfield.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Macclessfield $3,070

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,000 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,014 in Macclessfield.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Macclessfield $4,014

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 43% less than in Macclessfield, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 11% below, Macclessfield is 57% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Macclessfield
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$20.83 £15.63
-47.86%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$87.8 £65.9
-49.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$10.59 £7.94
11.05%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$5.00 £3.75
-26.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$2.65 £1.99
-49.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$1.98 £1.48
-58.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$6.54 £4.91
-53.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$6.52 £4.89
-24.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Macclessfield
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.51 £1.13
-2.65%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$40.95
$1.49 £1.12
48.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.32
$2.37 £1.78
-37.55%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$45.99
$3.75 £2.81
-33.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$139
$9.46 £7.09
-20.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$147
$8.33 £6.25
-4.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$232
$15.47 £11.61
-18.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.3
$3.52 £2.64
-21.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$2.68 £2.01
-46.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$3.07 £2.30
-14.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.49
$3.51 £2.63
-39.03%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.38
$1.52 £1.14
32.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.74
$1.54 £1.16
29.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.01
$1.23 £0.92
-7.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.18
$1.41 £1.06
-14.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
$23.57 £17.68
-81.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$10.67 £8.01
-6.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.41
$2.48 £1.86
-37.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.17
$3.62 £2.71
-26.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Macclessfield
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.73
$2.35 £1.76
-77.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$508
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$90.6
$4.44 £3.33
10.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$63.5
$2.12 £1.59
61.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$99.4
$30.06 £22.55
-82.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$26.76
$2.07 £1.55
-29.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$391.0K
$38.5K £28.9K
-45.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$425.3K
$40.6K £30.5K
-43.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Macclessfield
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
$270 £203
-68.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
$20.19 £15.14
16.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
$40.37 £30.28
-29.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Macclessfield
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,149
$47.42 £35.58
31.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$530
$6.48 £4.86
342.59%
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$94.3
$13.09 £9.82
-61.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Macclessfield
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
$1,255 £941
-83.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
$20.2K £15.1K
-80.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Macclessfield
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
$84.0 £63.0
-47.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
$41.92 £31.45
-1.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
$88.1 £66.1
-17.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
$99.4 £74.6
-9.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Macclessfield
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.1K
$965 £724
1.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,887
$929 £697
-59.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.1K
$1,269 £952
32.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
$1,343 £1,007
-18.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
$1,343 £1,007
194.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
$1,320 £990
364.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Macclessfield
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
$2,289 £1,717
-67.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4.82
137.55%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Macclessfield: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Macclessfield
$929 149% $556
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Macclessfield
$305 18% $46
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Macclessfield
$323 61.2% $122
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Macclessfield
$331 141% $194
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Macclessfield
$141 26.3% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Macclessfield
$74 1.7% $1.2
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Macclessfield
$24 * 52.7% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $979 in Playa del Carmen and $965 in Macclessfield. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macclessfield pays 210% 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: $44.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $88.0 in Macclessfield for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $305 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇧 Macclessfield
🕒 Local time
01:47 1:47 AM
07:47 7:47 AM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
54,345
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Macclessfield 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Macclessfield

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 Macclessfield: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Playa del Carmen or Macclessfield?
Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Macclessfield. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Playa del Carmen or in Macclessfield?
On paper, salaries run 210% lower in Macclessfield. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Playa del Carmen compared to Macclessfield?
Rent for a central apartment: $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $965 in Macclessfield. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Macclessfield?
Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,255 in Macclessfield. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Playa del Carmen and in Macclessfield?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $88.0 in Macclessfield. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Playa del Carmen or in Macclessfield?
At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,126 in Macclessfield, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Macclessfield. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Playa del Carmen or Macclessfield?
Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,204 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.
How safe is Playa del Carmen compared to Macclessfield?
Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Macclessfield are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Macclessfield. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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