Cost of Living Comparison Between Green Island and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Green Island and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Green Island versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,692 in Green Island versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,353 in Green Island versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Green Island costs roughly 21% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Green Island 25% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.56 JMD 2,444

$11.96 MX$203

30.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 JMD 11.7K

$47.38 MX$804

57.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 JMD 1,401

$11.75 MX$199

-24.09%

Cappuccino

$5.43 JMD 852

$4.12 MX$70.0

31.80%

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

$1.24 JMD 195

$1.40 MX$23.74

-11.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 JMD 107

$0.91 MX$15.48

-25.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 JMD 337

$3.21 MX$54.4

-33.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 484

$7.07 MX$120

-56.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.06 JMD 638

$1.68 MX$28.44

141.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 JMD 596

$2.15 MX$36.48

76.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 JMD 259

$1.77 MX$30.10

-6.78%

Eggs

$3.50 JMD 549

$2.82 MX$47.76

24.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 JMD 1,764

$9.20 MX$156

22.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.34 JMD 996

$9.23 MX$157

-31.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 JMD 1,594

$12.64 MX$214

-19.78%

Apples (1kg)

$6.09 JMD 957

$2.95 MX$50.1

106.44%

Banana (1kg)

$4.01 JMD 629

$1.58 MX$26.79

153.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.45 JMD 1,170

$2.22 MX$37.70

235.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 JMD 471

$2.36 MX$40.09

27.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 JMD 508

$1.99 MX$33.81

62.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 JMD 414

$1.98 MX$33.58

32.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.14 JMD 493

$1.24 MX$21.04

153.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 JMD 239

$1.21 MX$20.55

25.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.61 JMD 1,509

$4.60 MX$78.1

108.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.46 JMD 1,800

$10.52 MX$178

8.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 JMD 447

$1.69 MX$28.70

68.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 JMD 633

$2.77 MX$47.06

45.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 JMD 191

$5.24 MX$88.8

-76.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.23 JMD 508

$3.65 MX$61.9

-11.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.13 JMD 963

$5.78 MX$98.1

6.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 JMD 220

$1.54 MX$26.09

-9.09%

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

$45.0K JMD 7.1M

$22.8K MX$386.8K

97.17%

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

$33.0K JMD 5.2M

$25.8K MX$437.9K

27.98%

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

$173 JMD 27.2K

$90.7 MX$1,538

90.64%

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

$29.14 JMD 4,578

$25.19 MX$427

15.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 JMD 8,474

$31.75 MX$539

69.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 JMD 2,116

$4.86 MX$82.5

177.16%

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

$358 JMD 56.2K

$226 MX$3,828

58.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,105 JMD 1.3M

$4,194 MX$71.1K

93.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.80 JMD 3,739

$47.38 MX$804

-49.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.78 JMD 4,991

$43.45 MX$737

-26.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 JMD 12.1K

$80.2 MX$1,361

-3.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 JMD 16.4K

$91.4 MX$1,550

14.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

11.45

-17.47%

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

Last update for Green Island: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $75.0 in Green Island vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $278 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

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

Green Island and Playa del Carmen differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,030 vs $1,305 including rent). Green Island is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,545 in Green Island and $1,958 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 39% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,030 per month in Green Island versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,030 in Green Island versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Green Island but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Green Island the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Green Island gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.