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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,254 per month in Swansea vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,266 per month in Swansea vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,277 per month in Swansea vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Swansea costs about 77% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Swansea sits 68% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.11 £17.93

$11.87 MX$204

103.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 £50.8

$42.90 MX$736

59.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.70

$10.65 MX$183

-2.82%

Cappuccino

$4.93 £3.67

$3.45 MX$59.2

42.90%

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

$2.34 £1.74

$1.50 MX$25.81

56.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 £0.87

$0.95 MX$16.28

23.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 £4.60

$3.03 MX$51.9

103.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 £4.97

$4.61 MX$79.1

45.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.38 MX$23.61

38.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.85 MX$31.70

3.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.61 MX$27.65

11.80%

Eggs

$3.62 £2.69

$2.59 MX$44.51

39.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 £6.07

$8.26 MX$142

-1.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 £6.72

$8.37 MX$144

8.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 £9.73

$10.66 MX$183

22.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 £2.32

$2.63 MX$45.12

19.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 £0.93

$1.49 MX$25.53

-15.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 £1.69

$1.92 MX$32.94

18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.56

$2.09 MX$35.81

65.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.86 MX$31.88

10.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.26 MX$38.81

-25.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$1.06 MX$18.23

-1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.09 MX$18.67

71.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.01 £16.36

$4.15 MX$71.2

430.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 £7.88

$10.39 MX$178

1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 £2.06

$1.72 MX$29.59

61.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 £2.99

$2.61 MX$44.85

54.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £2.96

$0.54 MX$9.30

637.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.8 £73.5

$26.94 MX$462

266.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 £3.02

$3.13 MX$53.7

29.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 £1.83

$2.51 MX$43.09

-1.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.83 £25.15

$3.15 MX$54.1

973.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.27 MX$21.88

52.76%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

26.50%

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

$47.2K £35.1K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

100.37%

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

$314 £233

$83.0 MX$1,425

277.72%

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

$15.40 £11.45

$22.71 MX$390

-32.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.33 £34.45

$29.46 MX$506

57.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.91 £26.70

$51.0 MX$875

-29.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.19 £12.04

$18.33 MX$315

-11.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 £7.52

$4.93 MX$84.5

105.27%

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

$1,512 £1,124

$197 MX$3,386

666.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

241.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 £42.22

$36.90 MX$633

53.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 £29.99

$39.89 MX$685

1.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 £91.2

$80.0 MX$1,373

53.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 £64.2

$89.5 MX$1,536

-3.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 £840

$956 MX$16.4K

18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 £666

$477 MX$8,189

87.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 £1,227

$1,646 MX$28.3K

0.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 £1,046

$1,225 MX$21.0K

14.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,611 £2,684

$3,918 MX$67.2K

-7.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,731 £2,030

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-57.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,023 £2,248

$667 MX$11.4K

353.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

11.42

-46.58%

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

Last update for Swansea: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,130 in Swansea versus $956 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 353% higher in Swansea, 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 $68.0 in Swansea versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $250 – 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

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

Yes – Swansea is pricier by about 77%, 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 $3,381 per month in Swansea and $1,906 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 $2,254 in Swansea and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 267% 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 $1,271, than in Swansea at $2,254. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Swansea 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, Swansea makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.