Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Redcar

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,316 in Redcar, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Redcar
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,316
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,316 in Redcar, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Redcar $2,316

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,401 in Redcar, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Redcar $3,401

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,486 in Redcar, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Redcar $4,486

Playa del Carmen is about 48% cheaper than Redcar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Redcar is 71% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Redcar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$21.13 £15.85
-48.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$69.3 £52.0
-36.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$11.83 £8.88
-0.59%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$3.47 £2.61
6.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$2.42 £1.81
-44.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$1.97 £1.48
-58.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$4.77 £3.58
-35.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$4.20 £3.15
17.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Redcar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.29 £0.97
13.95%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$40.95
$1.31 £0.98
69.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.32
$3.70 £2.77
-60.00%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$45.99
$3.68 £2.76
-32.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$139
$7.51 £5.63
0.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$147
$7.18 £5.39
10.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$232
$7.61 £5.71
65.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.3
$3.29 £2.47
-15.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$2.90 £2.17
-50.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$3.45 £2.59
-24.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.49
$3.78 £2.84
-43.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.38
$1.75 £1.31
15.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.74
$1.80 £1.35
10.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.01
$1.20 £0.90
-5.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.18
$1.95 £1.46
-38.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
$18.72 £14.05
-77.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$9.46 £7.10
5.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.41
$4.97 £3.73
-69.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.17
$3.70 £2.78
-28.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Redcar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.73
$3.46 £2.60
-84.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$508
$89.4 £67.1
-69.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$90.6
$4.26 £3.20
15.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$63.5
$1.87 £1.40
83.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$99.4
$32.66 £24.50
-83.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$26.76
$2.01 £1.50
-27.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$391.0K
$38.6K £29.0K
-45.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$425.3K
$41.0K £30.7K
-43.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Redcar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
$356 £267
-76.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
$26.00 £19.51
-9.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
$45.73 £34.31
-37.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Redcar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,149
$48.58 £36.44
28.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$530
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$94.3
$17.26 £12.95
-70.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Redcar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
$821 £616
-75.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
$19.1K £14.3K
-79.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Redcar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
$108 £81.3
-59.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
$55.4 £41.56
-25.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
$111 £83.1
-34.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
$112 £84.3
-20.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Redcar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.1K
$1,252 £939
-21.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,887
$926 £695
-59.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.1K
$2,308 £1,732
-27.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
$1,639 £1,230
-33.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
$5,727 £4,296
-31.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
$4,180 £3,136
46.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Redcar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.53
107.05%

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 Redcar: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Redcar
$926 149% $553
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Redcar
$292 12.8% $33
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Redcar
$296 47.8% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Redcar
$428 212% $291
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Redcar
$174 56% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Redcar
$83 14.8% $11
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Redcar
$117 126% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,252 in Redcar. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $69.0 in Redcar. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $292 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇧 Redcar
🕒 Local time
05:50 5:50 AM
11:50 11:50 AM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
36,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 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 Redcar 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Redcar

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 Redcar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Redcar cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Redcar is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,473 in Redcar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Redcar?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,316 in Redcar. That's a gap of about 92%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 225% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Redcar?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Redcar at $2,316. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Redcar it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Redcar more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Redcar makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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