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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,367 per month in Wick vs $1,294 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,429 per month in Wick vs $2,189 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,490 per month in Wick vs $3,084 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Wick costs about 83% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Wick sits 78% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.29 £15.11

$11.73 MX$202

72.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 £51.5

$41.78 MX$719

65.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 £7.45

$10.41 MX$179

-3.94%

Cappuccino

$3.91 £2.91

$3.61 MX$62.1

8.31%

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

$2.04 £1.52

$1.46 MX$25.06

39.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 £1.18

$0.97 MX$16.70

63.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 £4.49

$2.92 MX$50.3

106.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 £5.20

$4.62 MX$79.5

51.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.43 MX$24.59

18.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.90 MX$32.70

-13.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.57 MX$26.95

12.74%

Eggs

$4.15 £3.09

$2.64 MX$45.34

57.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.51 £6.34

$8.44 MX$145

0.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 £8.66

$8.58 MX$148

35.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 £10.16

$11.00 MX$189

24.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 £1.86

$2.70 MX$46.51

-7.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 £1.23

$1.51 MX$25.92

9.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 £2.08

$1.91 MX$32.93

46.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 £3.02

$2.17 MX$37.37

87.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 £0.89

$1.87 MX$32.25

-35.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 £0.64

$2.23 MX$38.43

-61.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.08 MX$18.60

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.07 MX$18.47

30.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.30 £14.37

$4.16 MX$71.6

363.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.99 £8.19

$10.29 MX$177

6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 £1.60

$1.68 MX$28.95

27.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 £1.72

$2.53 MX$43.59

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 £2.50

$0.55 MX$9.53

510.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 £66.0

$26.29 MX$452

237.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 £3.59

$3.20 MX$55.0

50.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 £1.25

$2.46 MX$42.37

-31.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.81 £25.93

$3.20 MX$55.0

987.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 £1.43

$1.32 MX$22.72

45.45%

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

$38.3K £28.5K

$30.2K MX$518.8K

26.94%

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

$41.7K £31.1K

$23.4K MX$402.5K

78.29%

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

$399 £297

$81.4 MX$1,400

390.01%

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

$23.78 £17.71

$22.41 MX$386

6.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.27 £34.47

$29.97 MX$516

54.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.97 £34.24

$51.6 MX$887

-10.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$8.57 £6.39

$5.16 MX$88.9

66.09%

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

$1,889 £1,407

$202 MX$3,471

836.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K £11.3K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

185.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 £61.6

$35.61 MX$613

132.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.36 £30.80

$40.37 MX$695

2.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 £70.1

$78.6 MX$1,353

19.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £91.3

$86.9 MX$1,495

41.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 £917

$950 MX$16.3K

29.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £753

$478 MX$8,227

111.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,004 £1,493

$1,621 MX$27.9K

23.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 £1,273

$1,223 MX$21.0K

39.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

11.42

-45.71%

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

Last update for Wick: June 16, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,232 in Wick versus $950 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Wick versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $254 – 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

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

Yes – Wick is pricier by about 83%, 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 $3,550 per month in Wick and $1,941 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 $2,367 in Wick and $1,294 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 237% 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 $1,294, than in Wick at $2,367. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Wick 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, Wick makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.