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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,834 per month in Romford vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,407 per month in Romford vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,981 per month in Romford vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Romford costs about 119% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Romford sits 111% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.67 £20.57

$11.73 MX$203

135.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 £80.8

$41.62 MX$720

161.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 £7.66

$10.64 MX$184

-3.10%

Cappuccino

$4.61 £3.42

$3.52 MX$60.9

30.97%

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

$2.18 £1.62

$1.51 MX$26.12

44.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 £1.16

$0.97 MX$16.84

60.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.68 £6.45

$2.95 MX$51.0

194.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.13

$4.45 MX$77.0

55.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.38 MX$23.93

31.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.89 MX$32.72

8.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 £1.84

$1.64 MX$28.32

50.61%

Eggs

$5.01 £3.72

$2.51 MX$43.34

99.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 £8.39

$8.34 MX$144

35.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.90 £6.62

$8.34 MX$144

6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 £10.93

$10.73 MX$186

37.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.35

$2.60 MX$45.04

21.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.46 MX$25.20

32.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.29 £2.45

$1.90 MX$32.87

73.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.62

$2.08 MX$35.91

69.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 £1.30

$1.78 MX$30.71

-1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 £1.51

$2.19 MX$37.80

-7.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 £0.88

$1.04 MX$17.99

13.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.08 MX$18.62

48.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.72 £15.40

$4.08 MX$70.6

407.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 £10.14

$10.32 MX$178

32.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 £2.07

$1.71 MX$29.61

63.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 £2.17

$2.58 MX$44.54

13.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 £2.75

$0.51 MX$8.81

623.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$276 £205

$26.46 MX$458

944.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 £3.31

$3.26 MX$56.4

36.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 £1.58

$2.49 MX$43.09

-14.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.15 £30.59

$3.25 MX$56.2

1166.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 £1.40

$1.31 MX$22.61

44.27%

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

$39.1K £29.1K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

29.17%

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

$39.3K £29.2K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

67.79%

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

$322 £239

$82.9 MX$1,433

288.09%

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

$19.69 £14.63

$22.22 MX$384

-11.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.40 £31.51

$29.34 MX$507

44.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 £37.73

$51.6 MX$893

-1.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$17.83 £13.25

$5.07 MX$87.6

251.68%

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

$1,836 £1,365

$201 MX$3,473

814.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K £14.4K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

271.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.2 £68.6

$36.92 MX$639

149.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.67 £31.72

$39.79 MX$688

7.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.1

$78.5 MX$1,357

37.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 £66.5

$87.1 MX$1,506

2.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 £1,392

$973 MX$16.8K

92.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 £907

$468 MX$8,090

160.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,334 £2,478

$1,641 MX$28.4K

103.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,342 £1,741

$1,221 MX$21.1K

91.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,873 £2,135

$664 MX$11.5K

332.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.05

11.42

-55.78%

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

Last update for Romford: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,873 in Romford versus $973 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 333% higher in Romford, 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 $109 in Romford versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Romford is pricier by about 119%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,251 per month in Romford and $1,945 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,834 in Romford and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 944% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Romford at $2,834. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Romford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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