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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,264 per month in Greenock vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,293 per month in Greenock vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,321 per month in Greenock vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Greenock costs about 79% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Greenock sits 65% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.62 £10.17

$11.60 MX$200

17.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.4 £50.4

$47.11 MX$811

43.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 £5.91

$11.88 MX$205

-33.42%

Cappuccino

$3.43 £2.56

$3.98 MX$68.5

-13.82%

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

$2.00 £1.50

$1.43 MX$24.57

39.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £1.00

$0.82 MX$14.20

63.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 £4.08

$3.19 MX$54.9

71.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.24 £6.15

$6.79 MX$117

21.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 £0.67

$1.68 MX$28.85

-46.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.76

$2.20 MX$37.83

6.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 £1.99

$1.71 MX$29.41

56.14%

Eggs

$3.19 £2.39

$2.74 MX$47.20

16.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.64 £7.20

$9.58 MX$165

0.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.22 £8.38

$9.01 MX$155

24.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.18 £12.09

$12.81 MX$221

26.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 £2.41

$2.89 MX$49.74

11.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.50 MX$25.78

38.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.39 £2.53

$2.15 MX$36.98

57.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 £3.09

$2.26 MX$38.91

82.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.34 £1.75

$1.98 MX$34.10

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.99 MX$34.26

-18.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 £1.06

$1.23 MX$21.25

15.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.37

$1.20 MX$20.60

52.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.15 £18.03

$4.55 MX$78.3

430.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.38 £9.25

$10.37 MX$179

19.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 £2.10

$1.62 MX$27.88

73.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 £2.34

$2.88 MX$49.60

9.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.49 £2.61

$0.60 MX$10.34

481.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.2 £71.8

$28.80 MX$496

233.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 £3.49

$5.39 MX$92.8

-13.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 £1.15

$3.73 MX$64.2

-58.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 £15.09

$5.77 MX$99.3

250.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 £1.55

$1.54 MX$26.45

35.06%

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

$39.3K £29.3K

$22.5K MX$388.3K

74.08%

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

$41.2K £30.8K

$26.1K MX$448.7K

58.15%

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

$268 £200

$91.4 MX$1,573

193.77%

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

$24.08 £17.98

$25.20 MX$434

-4.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.01 £34.36

$31.24 MX$538

47.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.83 £35.72

$67.2 MX$1,157

-28.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$13.49 £10.07

$4.86 MX$83.7

177.57%

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

$1,440 £1,075

$224 MX$3,851

544.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.5K

$4,229 MX$72.8K

327.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 £61.8

$47.10 MX$811

75.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 £35.60

$44.29 MX$763

7.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £80.6

$80.1 MX$1,379

34.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 £76.6

$92.7 MX$1,596

10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,247 £931

$1,063 MX$18.3K

17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 £780

$390 MX$6,719

167.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 £1,579

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-1.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,685 £1,258

$1,272 MX$21.9K

32.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,116 £3,820

$4,001 MX$68.9K

27.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,033 £3,011

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-37.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.91

11.45

-57.12%

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

Last update for Greenock: September 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,247 in Greenock versus $1,063 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 $67.0 in Greenock versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $335 vs $276 – 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

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

Greenock costs about 79% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,396 per month in Greenock and $1,899 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.

Public transport costs about 234% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,440 per month in Greenock and $224 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Greenock at $2,264. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Greenock it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,266 versus $2,264 in Greenock. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Greenock makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.