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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,312 in Lerwick versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,374 in Lerwick versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,435 in Lerwick versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lerwick is roughly 78% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lerwick is 73% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.16 £15.12

$11.73 MX$205

71.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 £61.0

$41.62 MX$727

95.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 £7.60

$10.64 MX$186

-4.70%

Cappuccino

$4.61 £3.45

$3.52 MX$61.4

30.97%

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

$2.29 £1.71

$1.51 MX$26.37

51.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.20

$0.97 MX$17.00

64.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 £4.68

$2.95 MX$51.5

111.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 £4.51

$4.45 MX$77.8

35.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.38 MX$24.16

14.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.89 MX$33.03

-14.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 £1.65

$1.64 MX$28.59

33.54%

Eggs

$3.88 £2.91

$2.51 MX$43.76

54.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 £7.55

$8.34 MX$146

20.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 £6.75

$8.34 MX$146

8.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 £10.36

$10.73 MX$187

28.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.34

$2.60 MX$45.47

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.23

$1.46 MX$25.45

11.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 £2.15

$1.90 MX$33.19

50.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 £2.70

$2.08 MX$36.26

73.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.78 MX$31.01

-5.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.11

$2.19 MX$38.16

-32.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.80

$1.04 MX$18.16

1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 £1.11

$1.08 MX$18.80

37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.37 £14.53

$4.08 MX$71.3

374.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.38

$10.32 MX$180

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 £2.11

$1.71 MX$29.90

64.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.33

$2.58 MX$44.97

20.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 £2.45

$0.51 MX$8.90

541.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 £67.0

$26.46 MX$462

237.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 £4.16

$3.26 MX$57.0

70.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.15

$2.49 MX$43.50

-38.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.72 £17.04

$3.25 MX$56.7

599.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$1.31 MX$22.83

48.09%

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

$38.3K £28.7K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

26.40%

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

$40.8K £30.6K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

74.06%

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

$296 £222

$82.9 MX$1,447

256.59%

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

$17.23 £12.92

$22.22 MX$388

-22.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.36 £32.51

$29.34 MX$512

47.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.04 £33.77

$51.6 MX$902

-12.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 £10.28

$5.07 MX$88.5

170.41%

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

$1,576 £1,182

$201 MX$3,507

684.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K £13.9K

$5,212 MX$91.0K

254.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 £62.1

$36.92 MX$645

124.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.14 £32.35

$39.79 MX$695

8.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 £69.6

$78.5 MX$1,370

18.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 £72.7

$87.1 MX$1,521

11.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 £918

$973 MX$17.0K

25.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £758

$468 MX$8,168

116.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 £1,555

$1,641 MX$28.7K

26.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 £1,285

$1,221 MX$21.3K

40.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,753 £3,564

$3,946 MX$68.9K

20.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

11.42

-50.70%

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

Last update for Lerwick: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Lerwick and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Lerwick vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $249 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 78% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,468 in Lerwick and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,224 in Lerwick versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,312 per month in Lerwick versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 237% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,312 in Lerwick, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lerwick. 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 Lerwick, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lerwick 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 78% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.