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: $2,772 in Greystones versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,714 in Greystones versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,655 in Greystones versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Greystones is roughly 112% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Greystones is 101% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.90 €12.84

$11.96 MX$203

24.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.0 €82.8

$47.38 MX$804

102.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.58 €14.29

$11.75 MX$199

41.11%

Cappuccino

$4.32 €3.72

$4.12 MX$70.0

4.85%

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

$2.94 €2.54

$1.40 MX$23.74

110.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.01

$0.91 MX$15.48

156.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 €6.16

$3.21 MX$54.4

122.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 €5.23

$7.07 MX$120

-14.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.68 MX$28.44

17.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.15 MX$36.48

-10.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.29

$1.77 MX$30.10

50.28%

Eggs

$4.17 €3.59

$2.82 MX$47.76

47.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 €8.15

$9.20 MX$156

2.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.88 €8.52

$9.23 MX$157

7.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.59 €13.44

$12.64 MX$214

23.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.47 €3.86

$2.95 MX$50.1

51.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 €2.35

$1.58 MX$26.79

72.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 €3.48

$2.22 MX$37.70

81.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.36 MX$40.09

68.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 €2.80

$1.99 MX$33.81

63.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.98 MX$33.58

-5.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.24 MX$21.04

50.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.21 MX$20.55

88.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.38 €14.12

$4.60 MX$78.1

256.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.42 €12.43

$10.52 MX$178

37.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.86 €3.33

$1.69 MX$28.70

128.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 €4.59

$2.77 MX$47.06

92.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.60 MX$10.22

340.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 €98.8

$29.70 MX$504

285.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 €4.39

$5.24 MX$88.8

-2.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 €2.30

$3.65 MX$61.9

-27.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.51 €31.47

$5.78 MX$98.1

531.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.54 MX$26.09

46.75%

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

$43.1K €37.1K

$22.8K MX$386.8K

88.85%

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

$39.8K €34.3K

$25.8K MX$437.9K

54.07%

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

$230 €198

$90.7 MX$1,538

153.42%

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

$22.93 €19.77

$25.19 MX$427

-8.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.16 €42.38

$31.75 MX$539

54.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 €55.3

$68.8 MX$1,167

-6.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.21 €30.35

$29.37 MX$498

19.88%

Cinema Ticket

$16.73 €14.42

$4.86 MX$82.5

244.24%

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

$1,949 €1,680

$226 MX$3,828

763.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,492 €4,734

$4,194 MX$71.1K

30.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.3 €83.9

$47.38 MX$804

105.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.1 €55.3

$43.45 MX$737

47.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.8

$80.2 MX$1,361

25.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €105

$91.4 MX$1,550

33.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,178 €1,877

$1,086 MX$18.4K

100.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 €1,223

$409 MX$6,933

247.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,795 €3,272

$1,972 MX$33.5K

92.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,539 €3,051

$1,281 MX$21.7K

176.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,345 €5,469

$4,046 MX$68.6K

56.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,083 €1,795

$6,704 MX$113.7K

-68.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,549 €3,060

$773 MX$13.1K

358.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

11.45

-63.84%

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

Last update for Greystones: September 6, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,178 in Greystones and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Greystones pays 359% 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: $96.0 in Greystones vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 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

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, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 359% higher in Greystones, 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: $2,178 in Greystones versus $1,086 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 $47.00 versus $96.0 in Greystones. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,772 per month in Greystones versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,772 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 112% less than in Greystones. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.