Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portadown and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,370 in Portadown, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Portadown, United Kingdom
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Portadown
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,370
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Portadown and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,370 per month in Portadown vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Portadown $2,370
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,462 per month in Portadown vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Portadown $3,462
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,553 per month in Portadown vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Portadown $4,553
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Portadown costs about 97% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Portadown sits 74% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Portadown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.48 £15.36
$10.92 MX$203
87.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.3 £64.0
$43.37 MX$808
96.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.60 £7.96
$11.78 MX$219
-10.02%
Cappuccino
$4.91 £3.68
$3.81 MX$71.0
28.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 £1.82
$1.28 MX$23.89
89.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.87 £1.40
$0.78 MX$14.58
139.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.55 £4.92
$3.17 MX$59.0
106.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.19 £4.64
$4.93 MX$91.9
25.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Portadown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 £1.23
$1.41 MX$26.20
16.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.67 £1.25
$2.22 MX$41.30
-24.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.16 £1.62
$1.42 MX$26.40
52.11%
Eggs
$3.89 £2.92
$2.52 MX$47.00
54.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.31 £6.99
$7.26 MX$135
28.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.60 £6.46
$7.70 MX$143
11.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.34 £10.76
$12.69 MX$236
13.00%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 £2.31
$2.78 MX$51.9
10.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 £1.18
$1.37 MX$25.49
14.60%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.71 £2.04
$2.55 MX$47.52
6.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.27 £2.46
$2.12 MX$39.55
54.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.94 MX$36.11
-16.49%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.89 MX$35.13
-14.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.22 £0.92
$1.15 MX$21.36
6.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 £1.18
$1.18 MX$21.96
33.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.97 £17.99
$4.30 MX$80.0
457.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.84 £8.13
$9.95 MX$185
8.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 £2.14
$1.58 MX$29.50
81.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.28 £2.46
$2.67 MX$49.76
22.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Portadown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.69 £2.77
$0.55 MX$10.31
570.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$98.3 £73.8
$26.62 MX$496
269.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.07 £3.80
$4.97 MX$92.6
2.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 £1.54
$3.33 MX$62.1
-38.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.45 £19.10
$5.36 MX$99.8
374.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.02 £1.51
$1.44 MX$26.90
40.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K £29.2K
$20.7K MX$385.0K
88.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.2K £30.1K
$23.5K MX$437.2K
71.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portadown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$309 £232
$84.8 MX$1,580
264.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.73 £13.30
$23.41 MX$436
-24.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.99 £32.26
$28.66 MX$534
50.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Portadown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 £34.52
$57.1 MX$1,063
-19.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.91 MX$539
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.12 £10.59
$5.14 MX$95.7
174.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Portadown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,607 £1,206
$207 MX$3,848
678.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.0K £16.5K
$3,927 MX$73.2K
460.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Portadown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.2 £66.2
$43.35 MX$808
103.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.75 £34.33
$41.44 MX$772
10.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$94.9 £71.2
$74.2 MX$1,382
27.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.3 £73.8
$89.3 MX$1,663
10.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Portadown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,238 £929
$980 MX$18.2K
26.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,036 £777
$381 MX$7,095
172.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,077 £1,559
$1,708 MX$31.8K
21.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,675 £1,257
$1,075 MX$20.0K
55.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,009 £3,758
$3,943 MX$73.5K
27.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,914 £2,937
$6,158 MX$114.7K
-36.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Portadown
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$735 MX$13.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.09
11.45
-55.55%

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

Last update for Portadown: October 24, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Portadown
$1K
Playa del Carmen
$381 63.2% $655
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Portadown
$370
Playa del Carmen
$137 63% $233
Eating Out
Portadown
$317
Playa del Carmen
$202 36.1% $115
Groceries & Markets
Portadown
$298
Playa del Carmen
$255 14.4% $43
Clothing & Footwear
Portadown
$147
Playa del Carmen
$112 24.1% $36
Getting Around
Portadown
$128
Playa del Carmen
$50 60.7% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Portadown
$74
Playa del Carmen
$67 9.3% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,238 in Portadown versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $85 in Portadown versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Portadown
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
07:33 7:33 AM
02:33 2:33 AM
5 h behind Portadown
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
22,000
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.837 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Portadown Playa del Carmen 7,560 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Portadown
  • Playa del Carmen

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
Portadown vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Portadown?
Yes – Portadown is pricier by about 97%, 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 $3,555 per month in Portadown and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,238 in Portadown.
What are total monthly expenses in Portadown and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,370 in Portadown and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 49% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 73% 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 Portadown or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Portadown at $2,370. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Portadown it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Portadown or Playa del Carmen 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 easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 49% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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