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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,247 in Middlesex.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,028 in Middlesex.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $5,808 in Middlesex.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 42% less than in Middlesex, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 3% below, Middlesex is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$202

$15.57 £11.60

-24.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$719

$76.1 £56.7

-45.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$179

$9.09 £6.77

14.52%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.1

$3.87 £2.88

-6.72%

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

$1.46 MX$25.06

$2.29 £1.70

-36.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$2.00 £1.49

-51.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.3

$4.17 £3.11

-29.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$79.5

$4.99 £3.72

-7.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.59

$1.40 £1.04

2.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.70

$1.34 £1.00

41.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.95

$3.48 £2.59

-54.89%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.34

$3.86 £2.87

-31.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$145

$5.43 £4.04

55.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$148

$8.05 £6.00

6.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$189

$14.55 £10.84

-24.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.51

$3.33 £2.48

-18.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$25.92

$1.02 £0.76

48.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.93

$1.01 £0.75

89.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.37

$4.29 £3.19

-49.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.25

$1.20 £0.89

55.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.43

$1.33 £0.99

67.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$1.03 £0.77

4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.47

$1.81 £1.35

-40.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$71.6

$17.63 £13.13

-76.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$177

$9.44 £7.03

9.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$28.95

$3.69 £2.75

-54.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.59

$2.78 £2.07

-8.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.53

$3.34 £2.49

-83.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

$88.7 £66.1

-70.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$3.99 £2.97

-19.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.37

$1.34 £1.00

83.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.0

$33.84 £25.20

-90.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.72

$1.88 £1.40

-29.79%

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

$30.2K MX$518.8K

$38.6K £28.7K

-21.83%

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

$23.4K MX$402.5K

$37.0K £27.6K

-36.81%

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

$81.4 MX$1,400

$321 £239

-74.66%

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

$22.41 MX$386

$23.02 £17.14

-2.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$516

$40.61 £30.24

-26.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$887

$53.5 £39.86

-3.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

$20.30 £15.12

-9.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$88.9

$14.62 £10.89

-64.71%

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

$202 MX$3,471

$1,563 £1,164

-87.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$91.4K

$13.4K £10.0K

-60.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$613

$106 £78.8

-66.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$695

$55.6 £41.38

-27.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,353

$124 £92.4

-36.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,495

$130 £96.9

-33.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$1,224 £911

-22.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,227

$996 £742

-52.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$27.9K

$2,034 £1,515

-20.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.0K

$3,011 £2,242

-59.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

$8,745 £6,513

-54.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

$6,966 £5,188

-7.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

5.76

98.26%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Last update for Middlesex: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $1,224 in Middlesex. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $76.0 in Middlesex for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $280 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 Middlesex: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,941 in Playa del Carmen and $3,371 in Middlesex to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,224 in Middlesex. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,294 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $2,247 in Middlesex – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 237% less than in Middlesex. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,247 in Middlesex, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Middlesex. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Middlesex, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Middlesex. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.