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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,159 per month in Retford vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,360 per month in Retford vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,560 per month in Retford vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Retford is about 10% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Retford and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Retford 16% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.17 £11.22

$11.71 MX$198

29.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £49.37

$46.59 MX$787

43.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 £5.44

$11.65 MX$197

-36.91%

Cappuccino

$4.11 £3.04

$4.09 MX$69.1

0.49%

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

$1.82 £1.35

$1.37 MX$23.21

32.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$0.83 MX$14.08

121.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 £3.24

$3.35 MX$56.6

30.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 £3.20

$6.91 MX$117

-37.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.73 MX$29.16

6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 £1.42

$2.26 MX$38.17

-15.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 £1.03

$1.77 MX$29.88

-20.90%

Eggs

$4.86 £3.59

$2.73 MX$46.14

78.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 £8.43

$9.18 MX$155

24.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 £3.10

$8.92 MX$151

-53.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 £9.44

$12.60 MX$213

1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 £1.02

$3.02 MX$51.0

-54.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 £1.01

$1.57 MX$26.52

-12.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$2.13 MX$35.89

-36.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 £1.28

$2.26 MX$38.23

-23.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 £1.08

$2.00 MX$33.84

-27.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 £1.15

$2.06 MX$34.86

-24.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 £0.31

$1.18 MX$19.92

-64.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.20 MX$20.33

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.60 £17.46

$4.63 MX$78.3

409.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 £5.89

$10.69 MX$180

-25.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.62 MX$27.35

6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 £1.54

$2.88 MX$48.65

-27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.04

$0.57 MX$9.68

384.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.64 £10.09

$5.45 MX$92.0

150.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.99 £2.95

$3.70 MX$62.6

7.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.53

$1.55 MX$26.23

33.55%

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

$40.4K £29.9K

$22.3K MX$377.0K

81.16%

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

$44.4K £32.9K

$25.9K MX$438.2K

71.28%

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

$353 £261

$89.1 MX$1,505

295.79%

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

$28.89 £21.38

$25.04 MX$423

15.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.34 £35.02

$31.50 MX$532

50.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

Cinema Ticket

$16.50 £12.21

$5.05 MX$85.3

226.73%

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

$1,986 £1,469

$225 MX$3,798

782.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K £18.2K

$4,222 MX$71.3K

482.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 £64.7

$47.44 MX$801

84.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 £45.46

$44.98 MX$759

36.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.0

$82.0 MX$1,384

36.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 £118

$92.1 MX$1,555

73.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,844

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 £847

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-40.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 £814

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-15.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,197 £1,626

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-45.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,039 £1,508

$6,626 MX$111.9K

-69.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 £1,292

$749 MX$12.6K

133.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

11.45

-53.71%

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

Last update for Retford: August 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 133% higher in Retford, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Retford versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Retford vs $277 in Playa del Carmen – so Retford wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 12%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,739 per month in Retford and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,159 in Retford and $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $1,986 per month in Retford and $225 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Retford, where all-in costs run around $1,159, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,293. In Retford it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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.

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