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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,511 per month in Salford vs $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,676 per month in Salford vs $2,158 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,841 per month in Salford vs $3,054 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Salford costs about 99% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Salford sits 86% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.42 £12.17

$11.61 MX$201

41.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 £79.1

$42.75 MX$742

149.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.52 £9.27

$10.60 MX$184

18.11%

Cappuccino

$4.01 £2.97

$3.59 MX$62.3

11.70%

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

$1.84 £1.36

$1.45 MX$25.21

26.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 £0.92

$0.90 MX$15.58

36.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 £3.50

$3.03 MX$52.6

55.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 £2.07

$4.56 MX$79.2

-38.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.32

$1.45 MX$25.20

23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.83 MX$31.72

6.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.62

$1.61 MX$27.92

35.40%

Eggs

$5.22 £3.87

$2.54 MX$44.05

105.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.50 £3.34

$8.54 MX$148

-47.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.72 £10.17

$8.47 MX$147

61.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.02 £10.39

$10.86 MX$189

29.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 £1.97

$2.73 MX$47.37

-2.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 £1.42

$1.49 MX$25.91

28.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 £2.12

$1.94 MX$33.73

47.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 £2.64

$2.16 MX$37.57

64.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 £0.86

$1.85 MX$32.05

-37.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 £0.58

$2.19 MX$38.00

-64.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 £0.68

$1.07 MX$18.62

-14.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 £1.25

$1.08 MX$18.81

56.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.60 £15.26

$4.06 MX$70.5

407.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.39 £9.18

$10.46 MX$182

18.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 £1.76

$1.65 MX$28.71

44.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 £2.40

$2.55 MX$44.23

27.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.30 £2.44

$0.56 MX$9.65

489.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 £82.1

$26.20 MX$455

323.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 £2.17

$3.14 MX$54.5

-6.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 £1.17

$2.37 MX$41.17

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.40 £17.34

$3.24 MX$56.2

622.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.31 MX$22.81

48.85%

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

$38.3K £28.4K

$30.5K MX$530.2K

25.53%

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

$41.3K £30.6K

$23.8K MX$413.6K

73.35%

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

$402 £298

$83.1 MX$1,443

383.87%

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

$20.67 £15.32

$22.15 MX$385

-6.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 £20.80

$29.37 MX$510

-4.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.13 £33.44

$51.2 MX$889

-11.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

Cinema Ticket

$24.90 £18.45

$4.89 MX$84.9

409.20%

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

$1,620 £1,200

$199 MX$3,449

715.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$5,207 MX$90.4K

246.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 £89.2

$35.93 MX$624

234.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.7 £60.6

$39.39 MX$684

107.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 £50.5

$80.3 MX$1,394

-15.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 £74.3

$87.6 MX$1,520

14.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 £998

$963 MX$16.7K

39.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,068 £792

$482 MX$8,370

121.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,303 £1,707

$1,645 MX$28.6K

39.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,788 £1,325

$1,192 MX$20.7K

49.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,287 £2,435

$726 MX$12.6K

352.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.42

-50.70%

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

Last update for Salford: April 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,347 in Salford versus $963 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 352% higher in Salford, 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 $107 in Salford versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $317 vs $253 – 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

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

Yes – Salford is pricier by about 99%, 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 $3,766 per month in Salford and $1,894 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 $2,511 in Salford and $1,262 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 323% 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 $1,262, than in Salford at $2,511. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salford 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, Salford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.