Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sittingbourne and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $2,411 in Sittingbourne, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sittingbourne
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,411
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,411 per month in Sittingbourne vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Sittingbourne $2,411
  • Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $3,558 per month in Sittingbourne vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Sittingbourne $3,558
  • Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $4,705 per month in Sittingbourne vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Sittingbourne $4,705
  • Playa del Carmen $3,016

Sittingbourne costs about 99% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sittingbourne sits 79% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sittingbourne
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.52 £16.14
$10.76 MX$199
100.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$90.6 £67.9
$43.03 MX$795
110.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.68 £8.01
$11.79 MX$218
-9.41%
Cappuccino
$4.66 £3.50
$3.87 MX$71.4
20.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 £2.00
$1.37 MX$25.29
94.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 £1.37
$0.84 MX$15.44
116.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.71 £5.78
$3.10 MX$57.3
148.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.79 £5.09
$5.07 MX$93.6
33.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sittingbourne
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 £1.24
$1.44 MX$26.55
14.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 £1.29
$2.23 MX$41.23
-22.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.58 £1.94
$1.47 MX$27.17
75.51%
Eggs
$4.38 £3.28
$2.53 MX$46.71
73.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.64 £7.23
$7.30 MX$135
32.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.40 £7.05
$7.86 MX$145
19.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.47 £11.61
$12.79 MX$236
20.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 £2.29
$2.90 MX$53.6
5.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.72 £1.29
$1.44 MX$26.53
19.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.51 £2.64
$2.55 MX$47.07
37.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.39 £2.54
$2.06 MX$38.03
64.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.80 £1.35
$2.00 MX$36.97
-10.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.81 £1.35
$2.01 MX$37.07
-9.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 £0.94
$1.19 MX$22.02
5.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.02 £1.52
$1.26 MX$23.23
60.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.75 £17.07
$4.40 MX$81.4
417.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.08 £8.31
$9.59 MX$177
15.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.20 £2.40
$1.59 MX$29.41
101.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.11 £3.09
$2.81 MX$51.9
46.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Sittingbourne
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.49 £2.62
$0.57 MX$10.47
512.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$94.5 £70.9
$27.82 MX$514
239.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.71 £5.78
$4.98 MX$92.1
54.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.72 £2.04
$3.50 MX$64.6
-22.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.98 £37.49
$5.40 MX$99.8
825.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.08 £1.56
$1.47 MX$27.08
41.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.0K £28.5K
$21.0K MX$387.8K
80.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.1K £30.8K
$23.9K MX$441.8K
71.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sittingbourne
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$331 £248
$84.2 MX$1,556
292.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.63 £13.98
$23.99 MX$443
-22.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.73 £32.06
$29.02 MX$536
47.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sittingbourne
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.77 £33.58
$63.0 MX$1,164
-28.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$29.14 MX$539
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.00 £12.75
$4.94 MX$91.3
244.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sittingbourne
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,577 £1,933
$204 MX$3,763
1165.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.8K £26.9K
$3,941 MX$72.8K
808.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sittingbourne
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$90.3 £67.7
$43.60 MX$806
107.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.57 £34.94
$43.12 MX$797
8.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.9 £68.9
$75.8 MX$1,400
21.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$129 £96.5
$88.6 MX$1,637
45.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sittingbourne
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,242 £932
$1,008 MX$18.6K
23.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$994 £746
$374 MX$6,911
165.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,093 £1,571
$1,708 MX$31.6K
22.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,648 £1,236
$1,106 MX$20.4K
48.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,067 £3,801
$3,944 MX$72.9K
28.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,842 £2,882
$6,169 MX$114.0K
-37.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sittingbourne
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,468 £1,852
$754 MX$13.9K
227.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.04
11.45
-55.98%

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

Last update for Sittingbourne: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sittingbourne
$994
Playa del Carmen
$374 62.4% $620
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sittingbourne
$392
Playa del Carmen
$137 65% $255
Eating Out
Sittingbourne
$330
Playa del Carmen
$202 38.7% $128
Groceries & Markets
Sittingbourne
$325
Playa del Carmen
$258 20.5% $67
Clothing & Footwear
Sittingbourne
$161
Playa del Carmen
$113 29.7% $48
Getting Around
Sittingbourne
$130
Playa del Carmen
$53 59.5% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Sittingbourne
$79
Playa del Carmen
$73 7.5% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,242 in Sittingbourne versus $1,008 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 227% higher in Sittingbourne, 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 $91.0 in Sittingbourne versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $325 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Sittingbourne
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
15:05 3:05 PM
09:05 9:05 AM
6 h behind Sittingbourne
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
39,974
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sittingbourne Playa del Carmen 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sittingbourne
  • 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
Sittingbourne vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Sittingbourne?
Yes – Sittingbourne is pricier by about 99%, 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 $3,616 per month in Sittingbourne and $1,816 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Sittingbourne and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,411 in Sittingbourne and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 99%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 240% 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 Sittingbourne or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,210, than in Sittingbourne at $2,411. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sittingbourne it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Sittingbourne 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 the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sittingbourne makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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