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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,829 in Portsmouth, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,276 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,813 in Portsmouth, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,280 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,798 in Portsmouth, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 55% cheaper than Portsmouth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Playa del Carmen sits 6% below the global median, while Portsmouth is 109% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.84 MX$220

$19.53 £14.48

-34.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.54 MX$780

$67.6 £50.1

-32.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.58 MX$216

$10.36 £7.68

21.43%

Cappuccino

$3.93 MX$67.3

$4.88 £3.62

-19.47%

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

$1.38 MX$23.69

$2.71 £2.01

-49.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 MX$12.93

$2.33 £1.73

-67.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$52.2

$6.46 £4.79

-52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 MX$116

$6.07 £4.50

12.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 MX$28.56

$1.44 £1.07

15.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.99

$1.62 £1.20

37.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.09

$3.65 £2.71

-53.42%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$45.68

$3.30 £2.45

-19.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.13 MX$157

$13.89 £10.30

-34.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.94 MX$153

$8.16 £6.05

9.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.54 MX$215

$13.18 £9.77

-4.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 MX$51.3

$3.99 £2.96

-25.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MX$26.25

$1.88 £1.39

-18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 MX$36.70

$3.01 £2.23

-28.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 MX$39.29

$3.39 £2.51

-32.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.15

$1.61 £1.20

27.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.00

$1.69 £1.26

20.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.76

$1.20 £0.89

0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$20.22

$1.54 £1.14

-23.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MX$79.2

$22.90 £16.98

-79.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.41 MX$178

$11.28 £8.36

-7.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.23

$2.99 £2.22

-44.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 MX$50.2

$2.11 £1.56

38.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 MX$10.18

$4.04 £3.00

-85.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.43 MX$487

$86.9 £64.4

-67.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 MX$86.8

$5.39 £3.99

-5.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.66 MX$62.7

$1.54 £1.15

137.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 MX$100

$20.49 £15.19

-71.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$26.87

$1.98 £1.47

-20.71%

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

$22.3K MX$382.1K

$38.3K £28.4K

-41.83%

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

$25.7K MX$441.2K

$40.7K £30.1K

-36.68%

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

$88.7 MX$1,520

$662 £491

-86.61%

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

$22.82 MX$391

$14.92 £11.06

52.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.42 MX$521

$43.26 £32.07

-29.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.3 MX$1,170

$39.41 £29.21

73.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.60 MX$490

$17.62 £13.06

62.32%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$84.7

$10.94 £8.11

-54.84%

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

$216 MX$3,705

$1,282 £951

-83.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,146 MX$71.1K

$19.9K £14.8K

-79.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.48 MX$797

$90.6 £67.1

-48.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 MX$756

$40.36 £29.92

9.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 MX$1,580

$102 £75.6

-9.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 MX$1,600

$121 £89.5

-22.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 MX$18.5K

$1,507 £1,117

-28.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MX$6,669

$1,097 £813

-64.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$33.2K

$2,149 £1,593

-9.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 MX$21.9K

$1,749 £1,297

-26.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,958 MX$67.8K

$4,540 £3,365

-12.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,438 MX$110.3K

$3,873 £2,871

66.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 MX$12.9K

$3,415 £2,532

-77.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

5.16

124.81%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 4, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: August 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,080 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,507 in Portsmouth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 354% higher in Portsmouth, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $68.0 in Portsmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $314 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Portsmouth is pricier by about 122%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,907 per month in Playa del Carmen and $4,243 in Portsmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $2,829 in Portsmouth. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 206% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Portsmouth at $2,829. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Portsmouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Portsmouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.