Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $921 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$921

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $921 per month in Portsmouth vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Portsmouth $921
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $1,637 per month in Portsmouth vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Portsmouth $1,637
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $2,353 per month in Portsmouth vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Portsmouth $2,353
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Portsmouth is about 24% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Portsmouth and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Portsmouth 32% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 EC$14.64

$10.92 MX$205

-50.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.6 EC$147

$43.37 MX$813

25.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 EC$17.51

$11.78 MX$221

-44.99%

Cappuccino

$2.56 EC$6.90

$3.81 MX$71.4

-32.81%

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

$2.21 EC$5.96

$1.28 MX$24.03

72.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 EC$4.94

$0.78 MX$14.67

134.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 EC$6.91

$3.17 MX$59.3

-19.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 EC$10.06

$4.93 MX$92.5

-24.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.70 EC$7.30

$1.41 MX$26.35

91.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 EC$6.08

$2.22 MX$41.54

1.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 EC$5.54

$1.42 MX$26.56

44.37%

Eggs

$6.71 EC$18.12

$2.52 MX$47.27

166.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.63 EC$7.10

$7.26 MX$136

-63.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.57 EC$15.04

$7.70 MX$144

-27.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

Apples (1kg)

$7.43 EC$20.06

$2.78 MX$52.2

167.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.61 EC$7.05

$1.37 MX$25.64

90.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 EC$11.07

$2.55 MX$47.80

60.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 EC$10.83

$2.12 MX$39.78

89.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 EC$7.50

$1.94 MX$36.32

43.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 EC$7.57

$1.89 MX$35.34

48.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.83 EC$4.95

$1.15 MX$21.49

59.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 EC$4.88

$1.18 MX$22.09

53.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.5

Wine (Bottle)

$10.91 EC$29.47

$9.95 MX$186

9.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 EC$5.10

$1.58 MX$29.67

19.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 EC$7.17

$2.67 MX$50.1

-0.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 EC$2.08

$0.55 MX$10.37

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$499

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 EC$10.22

$4.97 MX$93.1

-23.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.63 EC$9.80

$3.33 MX$62.4

9.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.06

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

$20.7K MX$387.3K

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

$23.5K MX$439.7K

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

$84.8 MX$1,589

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

$41.40 EC$112

$23.41 MX$439

76.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 EC$175

$28.66 MX$537

125.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.86 EC$99.5

$57.1 MX$1,069

-35.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$542

Cinema Ticket

$11.22 EC$30.31

$5.14 MX$96.3

118.29%

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

$207 MX$3,871

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 EC$150

$43.35 MX$812

28.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.30 EC$65.6

$41.44 MX$777

-41.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.1 EC$152

$74.2 MX$1,390

-24.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 EC$183

$89.3 MX$1,672

-24.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$254 EC$686

$980 MX$18.4K

-74.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 EC$593

$381 MX$7,136

-42.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 EC$1,772

$1,708 MX$32.0K

-61.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$637 EC$1,720

$1,075 MX$20.1K

-40.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$641 EC$1,731

$735 MX$13.8K

-12.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Portsmouth: October 27, 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

Portsmouth

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Portsmouth

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Portsmouth

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portsmouth

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Portsmouth

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Portsmouth

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Portsmouth

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $254 in Portsmouth 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.

Salaries run about 15% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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 $55 in Portsmouth versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

1 h behind Portsmouth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,633

149,923

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.332 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Portsmouth Playa del Carmen 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Portsmouth
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

Portsmouth vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,381 per month in Portsmouth and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portsmouth, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $254 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55 in Portsmouth and $43 in Playa del Carmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $921 in Portsmouth to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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