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 $2,125 per month in Greenock vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,717 per month in Greenock vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,309 per month in Greenock vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Greenock costs about 64% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Greenock sits 59% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.95 £10.39

$11.73 MX$203

18.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 £51.3

$41.62 MX$719

65.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.26 £6.15

$10.64 MX$184

-22.37%

Cappuccino

$3.50 £2.60

$3.52 MX$60.8

-0.57%

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

$2.02 £1.51

$1.51 MX$26.09

33.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £1.00

$0.97 MX$16.82

38.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 £4.07

$2.95 MX$51.0

85.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 £5.08

$4.45 MX$77.0

53.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.38 MX$23.90

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 £1.48

$1.89 MX$32.69

5.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 £2.20

$1.64 MX$28.29

79.88%

Eggs

$3.22 £2.40

$2.51 MX$43.30

28.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.73 £7.25

$8.34 MX$144

16.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 £7.81

$8.34 MX$144

25.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 £9.85

$10.73 MX$185

23.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 £2.52

$2.60 MX$45.00

30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.46 MX$25.18

32.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 £2.49

$1.90 MX$32.84

75.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 £3.09

$2.08 MX$35.88

99.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 £1.33

$1.78 MX$30.68

0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 £1.09

$2.19 MX$37.76

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.04 MX$17.97

31.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.10

$1.08 MX$18.60

36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.56 £15.32

$4.08 MX$70.5

403.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.02 £8.21

$10.32 MX$178

6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 £2.01

$1.71 MX$29.59

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 £2.72

$2.58 MX$44.50

41.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$0.51 MX$8.81

552.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £78.3

$26.46 MX$457

297.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 £4.06

$3.26 MX$56.4

67.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 £1.04

$2.49 MX$43.05

-43.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.64 £20.59

$3.25 MX$56.1

750.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$1.31 MX$22.59

42.75%

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

$38.7K £28.8K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

27.66%

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

$43.0K £32.0K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

83.60%

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

$146 £109

$82.9 MX$1,432

75.81%

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

$18.44 £13.74

$22.22 MX$384

-17.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.41 £32.34

$29.34 MX$507

47.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.39 £20.40

$51.6 MX$892

-46.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 £9.95

$5.07 MX$87.5

163.31%

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

$1,504 £1,120

$201 MX$3,470

648.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,886 £6,620

$5,212 MX$90.1K

70.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 £62.0

$36.92 MX$638

125.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.74 £34.82

$39.79 MX$688

17.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £81.0

$78.5 MX$1,356

38.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 £65.1

$87.1 MX$1,505

0.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 £448

$973 MX$16.8K

-38.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 £737

$468 MX$8,082

111.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 £663

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-45.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$824 £614

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-32.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,289 £3,941

$3,946 MX$68.2K

34.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.62

11.42

-50.79%

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

Last update for Greenock: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $601 in Greenock versus $973 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 Greenock versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 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

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

Greenock costs about 64% 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 $3,187 per month in Greenock and $1,945 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 297% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,504 per month in Greenock and $201 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 $1,297, than in Greenock at $2,125. 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 $1,297 versus $2,125 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.