Cost of Living Comparison Between St Helens and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between St Helens and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,062 per month in St Helens vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,170 per month in St Helens vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,278 per month in St Helens vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

St Helens costs about 59% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

St Helens sits 50% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.55 £16.67

$11.71 MX$198

92.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.0 £60.6

$46.59 MX$788

75.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 £8.18

$11.65 MX$197

-4.98%

Cappuccino

$4.01 £2.97

$4.09 MX$69.2

-1.96%

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

$2.75 £2.03

$1.37 MX$23.23

100.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 £1.44

$0.83 MX$14.09

134.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 £4.10

$3.35 MX$56.7

65.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 £3.61

$6.91 MX$117

-29.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.73 MX$29.20

-20.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 £1.35

$2.26 MX$38.21

-19.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 £1.49

$1.77 MX$29.91

14.12%

Eggs

$4.19 £3.10

$2.73 MX$46.19

53.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 £7.54

$9.18 MX$155

11.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 £6.93

$8.92 MX$151

5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 £8.08

$12.60 MX$213

-13.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 £2.28

$3.02 MX$51.1

1.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.57 MX$26.55

-10.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 £2.77

$2.13 MX$35.93

76.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 £2.68

$2.26 MX$38.28

60.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 £1.40

$2.00 MX$33.88

-5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.35

$2.06 MX$34.90

-11.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 £0.98

$1.18 MX$19.94

12.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.20 MX$20.35

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.60 £15.23

$4.63 MX$78.4

344.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.51 £8.51

$10.69 MX$181

7.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 £2.27

$1.62 MX$27.38

89.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 £2.06

$2.88 MX$48.70

-3.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 £2.06

$0.57 MX$9.69

387.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.7 £70.0

$29.83 MX$504

217.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 £2.57

$5.45 MX$92.1

-36.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 £1.55

$3.70 MX$62.6

-43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.08 £11.88

$5.98 MX$101

168.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 £1.48

$1.55 MX$26.26

29.03%

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

$27.4K £20.2K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

22.58%

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

$34.0K £25.1K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

30.96%

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

$352 £260

$89.1 MX$1,507

294.76%

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

$19.23 £14.21

$25.04 MX$423

-23.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.17 £33.39

$31.50 MX$532

43.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.81 £35.34

$67.8 MX$1,146

-29.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.12 £3.05

$28.92 MX$489

-85.75%

Cinema Ticket

$17.54 £12.96

$5.05 MX$85.4

247.33%

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

$805 £595

$225 MX$3,803

257.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,839 £5,056

$4,222 MX$71.4K

61.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 £51.4

$47.44 MX$802

46.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.18 £35.61

$44.98 MX$760

7.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 £69.5

$82.0 MX$1,386

14.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 £98.2

$92.1 MX$1,557

44.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$804 £594

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-24.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 £486

$405 MX$6,852

62.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 £1,163

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-18.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 £966

$1,301 MX$22.0K

0.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,340 £3,947

$3,995 MX$67.5K

33.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,427 £1,794

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-63.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,597 £1,919

$749 MX$12.7K

246.80%

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 St Helens: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $804 in St Helens versus $1,069 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 247% higher in St Helens, 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 $82.0 in St Helens versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $277 – 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

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

Yes – St Helens is pricier by about 59%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,092 per month in St Helens and $1,940 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 $2,062 in St Helens and $1,293 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 217% 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 $1,293, than in St Helens at $2,062. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in St Helens 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, St Helens makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.