Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Greenock and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $2,404 in Greenock, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Greenock, United Kingdom
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Greenock
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,404
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,404 per month in Greenock vs $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Greenock $2,404
  • Playa del Carmen $1,202

A couple spends around $3,443 per month in Greenock vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Greenock $3,443
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,482 per month in Greenock vs $2,962 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Greenock $4,482
  • Playa del Carmen $2,962

Greenock costs about 100% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Greenock sits 78% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Greenock
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.38 £9.96
$10.67 MX$201
25.40%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$95.2 £70.9
$43.80 MX$824
117.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.28 £6.91
$11.79 MX$222
-21.29%
Cappuccino
$3.41 £2.54
$3.79 MX$71.2
-10.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 £1.51
$1.30 MX$24.41
55.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 £1.02
$0.83 MX$15.69
65.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.22 £3.89
$3.15 MX$59.2
65.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.27 £6.16
$4.93 MX$92.9
67.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Greenock
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.89 £0.66
$1.41 MX$26.51
-36.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.32 £1.73
$2.20 MX$41.32
5.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.61 £1.94
$1.47 MX$27.71
77.55%
Eggs
$3.18 £2.37
$2.50 MX$46.99
27.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.01 £8.20
$7.29 MX$137
51.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.34 £8.44
$7.95 MX$150
42.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.20 £12.06
$12.86 MX$242
25.97%
Apples (1kg)
$3.14 £2.34
$2.90 MX$54.5
8.28%
Banana (1kg)
$2.08 £1.55
$1.38 MX$26.03
50.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.43 £2.55
$2.49 MX$46.88
37.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.12 £3.06
$2.03 MX$38.20
102.96%
Potato (1kg)
$2.37 £1.76
$2.02 MX$38.11
17.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.90 MX$35.82
-14.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 £1.02
$1.14 MX$21.54
20.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.92 £1.43
$1.24 MX$23.32
54.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$24.08 £17.92
$4.27 MX$80.4
463.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.34 £9.18
$9.81 MX$185
25.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 £2.13
$1.59 MX$29.85
79.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 £2.29
$2.75 MX$51.7
12.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Greenock
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.13 £3.08
$0.51 MX$9.69
709.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$98.9 £73.6
$27.39 MX$515
260.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.70 £3.50
$4.76 MX$89.6
-1.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 £1.17
$3.25 MX$61.1
-51.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.49 £15.26
$5.39 MX$101
280.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.18 £1.62
$1.53 MX$28.76
42.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.1K £28.4K
$21.2K MX$399.2K
79.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.3K £30.0K
$23.3K MX$437.8K
73.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Greenock
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$274 £204
$83.5 MX$1,571
227.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.80 £18.46
$23.19 MX$436
6.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.57 £34.67
$27.61 MX$520
68.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Greenock
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.05 £35.77
$56.4 MX$1,062
-14.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.19 MX$531
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.62 £10.88
$5.00 MX$94.1
192.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Greenock
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,576 £1,173
$207 MX$3,897
661.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.8K £10.3K
$5,231 MX$98.4K
164.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Greenock
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0 £63.3
$43.45 MX$818
95.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.92 £34.18
$42.54 MX$801
7.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 £80.9
$72.8 MX$1,369
49.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 £76.6
$88.4 MX$1,663
16.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Greenock
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,279 £952
$995 MX$18.7K
28.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,128 £840
$382 MX$7,197
194.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,050 £1,526
$1,674 MX$31.5K
22.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,634 £1,216
$1,081 MX$20.3K
51.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,360 £3,990
$3,909 MX$73.6K
37.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,663 £2,727
$6,138 MX$115.5K
-40.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Greenock
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$832 MX$15.7K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.97
11.45
-56.59%

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

Last update for Greenock: November 2, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Greenock
$1.1K
Playa del Carmen
$382 66.1% $745
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Greenock
$345
Playa del Carmen
$134 61.1% $211
Groceries & Markets
Greenock
$340
Playa del Carmen
$257 24.3% $83
Eating Out
Greenock
$232
Playa del Carmen
$200 13.7% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Greenock
$154
Playa del Carmen
$111 27.8% $43
Getting Around
Greenock
$128
Playa del Carmen
$50 60.6% $78
Sport & Entertainment
Greenock
$77
Playa del Carmen
$66 14% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,279 in Greenock versus $995 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 $95 in Greenock versus $44 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $340 vs $257 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Greenock
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
09:47 9:47 AM
04:47 4:47 AM
5 h behind Greenock
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
42,800
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.744 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.835 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.1 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Greenock Playa del Carmen 7,650 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Greenock
  • 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
Greenock vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Greenock or Playa del Carmen?
Greenock costs about 100% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Greenock and in Playa del Carmen?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,606 per month in Greenock and $1,804 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Greenock or Playa del Carmen?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $995 there versus $1,279 in Greenock.
How expensive is transport in Greenock compared to Playa del Carmen?
Public transport costs about 72% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Greenock and in Playa del Carmen?
Kindergarten costs $1,576 per month in Greenock and $207 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Greenock or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,202, than in Greenock at $2,404. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Greenock it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
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 more affordable for expats?
For expats, Playa del Carmen is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 50% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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