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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,772 per month in Edinburgh vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,140 per month in Edinburgh vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,508 per month in Edinburgh vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Edinburgh costs about 121% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Edinburgh sits 107% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.15 £15.00

$11.99 MX$209

68.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 £74.9

$41.78 MX$728

140.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 £7.45

$10.75 MX$187

-6.98%

Cappuccino

$5.41 £4.03

$3.50 MX$60.9

54.57%

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

$2.51 £1.87

$1.45 MX$25.22

73.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 £1.51

$0.88 MX$15.41

130.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 £5.60

$2.95 MX$51.3

154.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 £5.07

$4.51 MX$78.6

51.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.43 MX$24.94

17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.84 MX$31.99

-5.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 £1.55

$1.57 MX$27.31

32.48%

Eggs

$4.25 £3.17

$2.51 MX$43.74

69.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 £9.04

$8.28 MX$144

46.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.48 £7.80

$8.43 MX$147

24.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 £13.94

$10.68 MX$186

75.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.33

$2.61 MX$45.43

19.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.16

$1.44 MX$25.04

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 £3.07

$1.96 MX$34.16

110.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 £3.42

$2.09 MX$36.47

120.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.85 MX$32.24

-1.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$2.17 MX$37.74

-34.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.91

$1.03 MX$17.96

18.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.07 MX$18.70

26.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.18 £15.02

$4.10 MX$71.4

392.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.32

$10.17 MX$177

9.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 £1.86

$1.68 MX$29.17

48.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 £2.45

$2.53 MX$43.98

30.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 £2.01

$0.51 MX$8.87

429.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$26.04 MX$453

243.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.31 £3.95

$3.23 MX$56.3

64.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.01 £2.24

$2.41 MX$41.88

24.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.48 £31.63

$3.23 MX$56.2

1215.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.32 MX$23.00

46.97%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$29.7K MX$517.1K

30.65%

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

$39.9K £29.7K

$23.7K MX$412.0K

68.53%

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

$381 £283

$82.0 MX$1,428

364.21%

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

$17.69 £13.17

$22.95 MX$400

-22.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.83 £32.63

$30.11 MX$524

45.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 £39.91

$52.0 MX$905

3.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 £17.99

$18.53 MX$323

30.44%

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 £11.18

$4.98 MX$86.6

201.41%

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

$1,937 £1,442

$197 MX$3,438

880.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K £17.7K

$5,336 MX$92.9K

346.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$119 £88.8

$35.60 MX$620

235.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 £40.63

$40.33 MX$702

35.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 £87.4

$78.8 MX$1,371

49.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 £91.3

$88.9 MX$1,549

37.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 £1,203

$947 MX$16.5K

70.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 £918

$474 MX$8,254

160.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 £2,306

$1,644 MX$28.6K

88.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,186 £1,627

$1,211 MX$21.1K

80.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,544 £4,872

$4,056 MX$70.6K

61.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,733 £3,523

$6,470 MX$112.7K

-26.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,601 £2,681

$654 MX$11.4K

450.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.42

-50.70%

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

Last update for Edinburgh: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,616 in Edinburgh versus $947 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 451% higher in Edinburgh, 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 $101 in Edinburgh versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $249 – 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

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

Yes – Edinburgh is pricier by about 121%, 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 $4,158 per month in Edinburgh and $1,884 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Edinburgh and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,772 in Edinburgh and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,256, than in Edinburgh at $2,772. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Edinburgh 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, Edinburgh makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.