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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,957 per month in Sligo vs $1,261 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,006 per month in Sligo vs $2,130 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,055 per month in Sligo vs $2,999 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Sligo costs about 55% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Sligo sits 46% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.12 €14.61

$11.67 MX$202

46.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.8 €68.1

$41.88 MX$726

90.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 €8.43

$10.40 MX$180

-5.00%

Cappuccino

$3.84 €3.27

$3.61 MX$62.6

6.37%

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

$2.10 €1.79

$1.47 MX$25.45

42.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.46

$0.91 MX$15.80

89.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 €5.81

$3.03 MX$52.6

125.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €4.83

$4.47 MX$77.4

26.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.38 MX$23.83

5.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 €1.37

$1.84 MX$31.93

-13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.31

$1.61 MX$27.82

-4.35%

Eggs

$3.59 €3.06

$2.57 MX$44.52

39.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.71 €6.58

$8.49 MX$147

-9.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 €9.30

$8.49 MX$147

28.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.41 €9.73

$10.99 MX$190

3.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 €1.79

$2.73 MX$47.25

-23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.50 MX$25.92

14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 €2.61

$1.96 MX$33.93

56.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.45

$2.12 MX$36.70

35.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.34 €1.14

$1.86 MX$32.30

-27.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.09

$2.17 MX$37.67

-41.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.03

$1.07 MX$18.59

13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.05 MX$18.18

99.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.73 €15.12

$4.19 MX$72.6

323.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.64 €9.93

$10.28 MX$178

13.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 €2.39

$1.67 MX$28.87

67.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 €2.78

$2.49 MX$43.12

30.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.02

$0.54 MX$9.37

337.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.8 €84.3

$26.27 MX$455

276.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 €4.26

$3.10 MX$53.8

60.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.33

$2.46 MX$42.66

-36.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$68.3 €58.3

$3.24 MX$56.1

2008.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.75

$1.26 MX$21.83

63.49%

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

$42.6K €36.3K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

41.13%

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

$39.4K €33.6K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

67.90%

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

$184 €157

$84.0 MX$1,456

118.62%

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

$22.31 €19.03

$22.21 MX$385

0.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 €43.29

$29.65 MX$514

71.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.1 €57.2

$52.6 MX$912

27.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.60 €9.90

$18.34 MX$318

-36.75%

Cinema Ticket

$11.49 €9.80

$4.95 MX$85.7

132.12%

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

$602 €514

$198 MX$3,438

203.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,334 €1,991

$5,322 MX$92.2K

-56.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 €65.9

$35.95 MX$623

114.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 €32.35

$40.06 MX$694

-5.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.2

$78.8 MX$1,365

28.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 €65.4

$86.5 MX$1,499

-11.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 €1,213

$977 MX$16.9K

45.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$798 €681

$471 MX$8,158

69.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,307 €1,968

$1,595 MX$27.6K

44.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 €1,168

$1,215 MX$21.1K

12.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,255 €1,923

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-44.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,340 €3,702

$714 MX$12.4K

507.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

11.42

-60.33%

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

Last update for Sligo: April 22, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,421 in Sligo versus $977 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 508% higher in Sligo, 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 $80 in Sligo versus $42 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $252 – 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

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

Yes – Sligo is pricier by about 55%, 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 $2,935 per month in Sligo and $1,891 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 $1,957 in Sligo and $1,261 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 276% 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 $1,261, than in Sligo at $1,957. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sligo 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.

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