Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stockton-on-Tees and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,692 in Stockton-on-Tees, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Stockton-on-Tees
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,692
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Stockton-on-Tees vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Stockton-on-Tees $1,692
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,431 per month in Stockton-on-Tees vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Stockton-on-Tees $2,431
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,170 per month in Stockton-on-Tees vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Stockton-on-Tees $3,170
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Stockton-on-Tees costs about 40% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Stockton-on-Tees sits 25% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stockton-on-Tees
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.37 £10.03
$10.86 MX$201
23.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.7 £51.5
$44.21 MX$817
55.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.50 £7.88
$11.76 MX$217
-10.71%
Cappuccino
$3.39 £2.54
$3.68 MX$68.0
-7.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 £1.78
$1.34 MX$24.79
77.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 £1.52
$0.82 MX$15.24
147.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.60 £3.45
$3.06 MX$56.6
50.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.13 £3.10
$4.94 MX$91.2
-16.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stockton-on-Tees
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.23 £0.92
$1.47 MX$27.17
-16.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.05 £0.79
$2.22 MX$40.95
-52.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.38 £1.04
$1.48 MX$27.32
-6.76%
Eggs
$3.57 £2.68
$2.49 MX$45.99
43.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.63 £5.72
$7.52 MX$139
1.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.06 £5.29
$7.96 MX$147
-11.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 £10.49
$12.57 MX$232
11.30%
Apples (1kg)
$2.47 £1.85
$2.78 MX$51.3
-11.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.60 £1.20
$1.43 MX$26.37
11.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 £1.68
$2.62 MX$48.37
-14.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.82 £1.37
$2.14 MX$39.49
-14.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 £1.29
$2.02 MX$37.38
-14.85%
Onion (1kg)
$1.28 £0.96
$1.99 MX$36.74
-35.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 £0.87
$1.14 MX$21.01
0.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 £1.18
$1.20 MX$22.18
30.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.04 £17.29
$4.26 MX$78.7
440.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.02 £6.02
$10.02 MX$185
-19.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.01 £2.25
$1.54 MX$28.41
95.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.75 £2.81
$2.66 MX$49.17
40.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Stockton-on-Tees
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.94 £2.96
$0.53 MX$9.73
643.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$62.7 £47.01
$27.51 MX$508
127.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.45 £3.34
$4.90 MX$90.6
-9.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.43 MX$63.5
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.23 £24.93
$5.38 MX$99.4
517.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.99 £1.49
$1.45 MX$26.76
37.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K £29.2K
$21.2K MX$391.0K
83.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.2K £30.2K
$23.0K MX$425.3K
74.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stockton-on-Tees
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$354 £265
$85.4 MX$1,577
314.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$25.85 £19.39
$23.46 MX$434
10.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.40 £34.06
$28.43 MX$525
59.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stockton-on-Tees
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$62.2 MX$1,149
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.68 MX$530
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.10 £12.83
$5.10 MX$94.3
235.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stockton-on-Tees
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$799 £599
$201 MX$3,715
297.33%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$3,947 MX$72.9K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stockton-on-Tees
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$108 £81.3
$44.39 MX$820
144.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.4 £41.55
$41.35 MX$764
33.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 £84.5
$72.7 MX$1,344
54.76%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 £85.2
$89.6 MX$1,656
26.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stockton-on-Tees
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$594 £446
$979 MX$18.1K
-39.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$494 £370
$373 MX$6,887
32.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$809 £607
$1,681 MX$31.1K
-51.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$711 £533
$1,095 MX$20.2K
-35.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,949 MX$73.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stockton-on-Tees
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,020 £1,515
$738 MX$13.6K
173.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.53
11.45
-51.70%

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

Last update for Stockton-on-Tees: October 17, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Stockton-on-Tees
$494
Playa del Carmen
$373 24.5% $121
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stockton-on-Tees
$425
Playa del Carmen
$137 67.7% $288
Groceries & Markets
Stockton-on-Tees
$252
Playa del Carmen
$258 2.4% $6
Eating Out
Stockton-on-Tees
$228
Playa del Carmen
$200 12.2% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Stockton-on-Tees
$175
Playa del Carmen
$112 36.3% $64
Getting Around
Stockton-on-Tees
$83 *
Playa del Carmen
$52 37.6% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Stockton-on-Tees
$34 *
Playa del Carmen
$72 112% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $594 in Stockton-on-Tees versus $979 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 174% higher in Stockton-on-Tees, 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 $69.0 in Stockton-on-Tees versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Stockton-on-Tees vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Stockton-on-Tees wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Stockton-on-Tees
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
20:05 8:05 PM
14:05 2:05 PM
6 h behind Stockton-on-Tees
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
82,729
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 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
  • Stockton-on-Tees Playa del Carmen 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Stockton-on-Tees
  • 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
Stockton-on-Tees vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Stockton-on-Tees?
Yes – Stockton-on-Tees is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,537 per month in Stockton-on-Tees and $1,806 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 Stockton-on-Tees and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Stockton-on-Tees and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 40%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 128% 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 Stockton-on-Tees or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Stockton-on-Tees at $1,692. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Stockton-on-Tees it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Stockton-on-Tees 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, Stockton-on-Tees makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Stockton-on-Tees vs other spots: cost of living compared

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