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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $925 in Margate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,456 in Margate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,987 in Margate.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 37% more expensive than in Margate, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Margate 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$7.72 R 125

50.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$38.09 R 619

23.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.34 R 103

87.38%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.87 R 30.37

112.83%

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

$1.43 MX$24.58

$1.12 R 18.15

27.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.79 R 12.89

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.45 R 39.76

30.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.33 R 37.85

191.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.86

$1.05 R 17.08

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.84

$0.94 R 15.29

134.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.42

$1.16 R 18.82

47.41%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.21

$2.53 R 41.17

8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$5.39 R 87.6

77.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$3.60 R 58.5

150.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$6.06 R 98.4

111.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.75

$1.20 R 19.57

140.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.79

$1.29 R 20.90

16.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.00

$1.10 R 17.91

95.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.92

$1.50 R 24.38

50.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.11

$1.12 R 18.22

76.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.27

$1.35 R 22.00

47.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.26

$1.14 R 18.60

7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.61

$1.00 R 16.26

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.4

$1.74 R 28.28

161.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$3.75 R 61.0

176.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.49 R 24.29

8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.61

$1.91 R 30.98

50.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$1.51 R 24.60

-60.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$0.48 R 7.85

1022.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.77 R 12.45

384.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.4

$8.03 R 131

-28.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.46

$1.41 R 22.93

9.22%

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

$22.5K MX$388.4K

$36.8K R 597.4K

-38.67%

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

$26.1K MX$448.8K

$33.4K R 542.4K

-21.93%

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

$91.4 MX$1,574

$63.6 R 1,034

43.63%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$18.81 R 306

33.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$34.67 R 563

-9.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,158

$32.97 R 536

103.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.8

$4.33 R 70.4

12.24%

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

$224 MX$3,852

$332 R 5,395

-32.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$7,964 R 129.4K

-46.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$56.3 R 915

-16.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$18.63 R 303

137.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,380

$74.6 R 1,212

7.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$50.7 R 824

82.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$425 R 6,900

150.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,721

$372 R 6,051

4.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$788 R 12.8K

172.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$789 R 12.8K

61.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$887 R 14.4K

351.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$702 R 11.4K

825.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$1,556 R 25.3K

-51.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.81

-3.05%

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 Margate: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $425 in Margate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Margate pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Margate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $154 per month, with Margate 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 Margate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Margate wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Margate the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 105% lower in Margate. 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 $425 in Margate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $224 in Playa del Carmen versus $332 in Margate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Margate – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $925 in Margate versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Margate but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Margate the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Margate delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $925 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Margate hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Margate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.