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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,572 in Greystones versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,790 in Greystones versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,007 in Greystones versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Greystones is roughly 100% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Greystones is 92% above, Playa del Carmen is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.38 €16.55

$11.94 MX$208

62.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 €65.1

$42.75 MX$744

78.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.20 €13.83

$10.59 MX$184

52.97%

Cappuccino

$4.40 €3.76

$3.62 MX$63.0

21.55%

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

$2.37 €2.03

$1.47 MX$25.54

61.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.94 MX$16.41

109.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 €6.09

$3.09 MX$53.8

130.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 €5.53

$4.46 MX$77.6

45.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.76

$1.43 MX$24.80

44.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.85

$1.88 MX$32.79

14.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €1.96

$1.63 MX$28.34

40.49%

Eggs

$4.10 €3.50

$2.64 MX$45.99

55.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.28 €7.93

$8.21 MX$143

13.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.75 €8.33

$8.29 MX$144

17.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.55 €13.28

$11.10 MX$193

40.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 €4.06

$2.65 MX$46.14

79.62%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 €2.35

$1.50 MX$26.11

83.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 €3.49

$1.99 MX$34.59

105.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 €3.31

$2.08 MX$36.13

86.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 €2.82

$1.79 MX$31.11

84.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 €1.64

$2.18 MX$37.87

-12.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.08 MX$18.73

73.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.97

$1.04 MX$18.04

122.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.34 €13.10

$3.97 MX$69.1

286.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 €12.71

$10.20 MX$178

45.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.75 €3.20

$1.73 MX$30.04

116.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.35 €4.57

$2.50 MX$43.46

114.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 €3.37

$0.52 MX$9.02

659.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 €48.44

$26.97 MX$469

110.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 €4.52

$3.14 MX$54.7

68.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 €1.97

$2.40 MX$41.80

-3.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.63 €29.57

$3.09 MX$53.7

1020.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.85

$1.27 MX$22.16

70.87%

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

$42.1K €35.9K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

36.18%

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

$40.6K €34.7K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

74.15%

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

$234 €200

$82.0 MX$1,427

184.98%

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

$21.38 €18.26

$22.45 MX$391

-4.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.94 €42.65

$29.66 MX$516

68.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.3 €57.5

$51.9 MX$903

29.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.19 €29.20

$18.67 MX$325

83.13%

Cinema Ticket

$16.06 €13.71

$4.97 MX$86.5

223.14%

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

$1,609 €1,374

$198 MX$3,442

713.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,628 €6,514

$5,273 MX$91.7K

44.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €76.3

$36.34 MX$632

145.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 €48.56

$40.05 MX$697

42.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 €79.4

$79.9 MX$1,390

16.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €123

$88.9 MX$1,547

61.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 €1,241

$963 MX$16.8K

50.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,252 €1,069

$465 MX$8,086

169.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,411 €2,059

$1,596 MX$27.8K

51.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,949 €1,664

$1,209 MX$21.0K

61.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,038 €3,448

$3,942 MX$68.6K

2.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,098 €1,791

$6,448 MX$112.2K

-67.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,548 €3,030

$720 MX$12.5K

392.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

11.42

-60.33%

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

Last update for Greystones: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,453 in Greystones and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Greystones pays 393% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $76.0 in Greystones vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $251 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Greystones pays 393% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,453 in Greystones versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $76.0 in Greystones. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,572 per month in Greystones versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,572 in Greystones, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Greystones. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Greystones, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Greystones and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Greystones. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.