Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Stratford upon Avon

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,064 in Stratford upon Avon, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Stratford upon Avon
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,064
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Stratford upon Avon

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 Stratford upon Avon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,064 in Stratford upon Avon, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Stratford upon Avon $2,064

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,090 in Stratford upon Avon, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Stratford upon Avon $3,090

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,116 in Stratford upon Avon, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Stratford upon Avon $4,116

Playa del Carmen is about 42% cheaper than Stratford upon Avon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Stratford upon Avon is 52% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Stratford upon Avon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$20.18 £15.14
-46.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$80.0 £60.0
-44.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$10.70 £8.03
9.91%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$4.52 £3.39
-18.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$2.14 £1.61
-37.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$1.54 £1.15
-46.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$6.50 £4.87
-52.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$4.62 £3.46
6.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Stratford upon Avon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$1.66 £1.24
-11.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$40.95
$1.89 £1.42
17.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.32
$2.33 £1.75
-36.48%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$45.99
$4.47 £3.35
-44.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$139
$11.75 £8.82
-36.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$147
$10.01 £7.51
-20.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$232
$17.06 £12.80
-26.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.3
$4.35 £3.26
-36.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$1.43 £1.08
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$1.87 £1.40
40.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.49
$3.53 £2.65
-39.38%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.38
$1.55 £1.16
30.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.74
$1.72 £1.29
15.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.01
$1.33 £1.00
-14.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.18
$1.48 £1.11
-18.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
$23.87 £17.91
-82.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$10.83 £8.12
-7.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.41
$3.10 £2.33
-50.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.17
$2.32 £1.74
14.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Stratford upon Avon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.73
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$508
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$90.6
$4.69 £3.52
4.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$63.5
$1.60 £1.20
114.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$99.4
$39.37 £29.53
-86.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$26.76
$2.01 £1.51
-27.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$391.0K
$37.9K £28.4K
-44.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$425.3K
$40.3K £30.2K
-42.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Stratford upon Avon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
$204 £153
-58.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
$16.03 £12.03
46.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
$46.83 £35.13
-39.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Stratford upon Avon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,149
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$530
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$94.3
$14.67 £11.01
-65.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Stratford upon Avon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
$1,340 £1,005
-85.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
$22.1K £16.6K
-82.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Stratford upon Avon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
$67.6 £50.7
-34.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
$31.27 £23.46
32.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
$73.3 £55.0
-0.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
$78.8 £59.1
13.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Stratford upon Avon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.1K
$1,241 £931
-21.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,887
$1,010 £758
-63.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.1K
$1,898 £1,424
-11.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
$1,724 £1,293
-36.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Stratford upon Avon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
$3,462 £2,597
-78.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
5.47
109.32%

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 Stratford upon Avon: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Stratford upon Avon
$1K 171% $638
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Stratford upon Avon
$328 26.8% $69
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Stratford upon Avon
$304 51.9% $104
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Stratford upon Avon
$267 94.2% $129
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Stratford upon Avon
$113 1.1% $1.3
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Stratford upon Avon
$29 * 59.5% $43
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Stratford upon Avon
$13 * 75.4% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,241 in Stratford upon Avon. 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 369% higher in Stratford upon Avon, 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $80.0 in Stratford upon Avon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $328 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇧 Stratford upon Avon
🕒 Local time
11:31 11:31 AM
17:31 5:31 PM
6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
30,495
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 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 24, 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 Stratford upon Avon 7,900 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Stratford upon Avon

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 Stratford upon Avon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Stratford upon Avon cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Stratford upon Avon is pricier by about 71%, 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 $3,095 in Stratford upon Avon. 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 Stratford upon Avon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $2,064 in Stratford upon Avon. That's a gap of about 71%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,340 in Stratford upon Avon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Stratford upon Avon?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Stratford upon Avon at $2,064. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stratford upon Avon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Stratford upon Avon 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 safer, Playa del Carmen or Stratford upon Avon?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
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, Stratford upon Avon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?