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: $2,275 in Lerwick versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,421 in Lerwick versus $2,158 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,566 in Lerwick versus $3,054 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lerwick is roughly 80% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lerwick is 69% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 £15.30

$11.61 MX$201

78.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.9 £60.6

$42.75 MX$740

91.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 £7.45

$10.60 MX$184

-4.91%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.53

$3.59 MX$62.2

33.15%

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

$2.35 £1.74

$1.45 MX$25.15

62.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 £1.23

$0.90 MX$15.55

84.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 £4.49

$3.03 MX$52.5

100.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 £4.61

$4.56 MX$79.0

36.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.45 MX$25.14

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.83 MX$31.64

-9.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 £1.61

$1.61 MX$27.85

35.40%

Eggs

$3.84 £2.84

$2.54 MX$43.95

51.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 £7.18

$8.54 MX$148

13.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 £6.45

$8.47 MX$147

3.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 £10.59

$10.86 MX$188

31.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 £2.27

$2.73 MX$47.26

12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.49 MX$25.85

8.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.94 £2.17

$1.94 MX$33.65

51.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.44 £2.54

$2.16 MX$37.49

59.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.85 MX$31.97

-12.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$2.19 MX$37.91

-29.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.78

$1.07 MX$18.58

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 £1.09

$1.08 MX$18.76

36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.92 £13.98

$4.06 MX$70.3

366.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 £7.91

$10.46 MX$181

2.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 £2.07

$1.65 MX$28.64

70.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.36

$2.55 MX$44.13

25.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 £2.56

$0.56 MX$9.63

517.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.2 £65.2

$26.20 MX$454

236.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.48 £4.05

$3.14 MX$54.4

74.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 £1.17

$2.37 MX$41.08

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.97 £16.97

$3.24 MX$56.1

608.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.45

$1.31 MX$22.76

49.62%

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

$37.9K £28.0K

$30.5K MX$528.9K

24.01%

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

$41.3K £30.5K

$23.8K MX$412.6K

73.39%

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

$301 £222

$83.1 MX$1,440

261.55%

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

$17.12 £12.65

$22.15 MX$384

-22.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.41 £32.08

$29.37 MX$509

47.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.43 £34.31

$51.2 MX$887

-9.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 £9.96

$4.89 MX$84.7

175.46%

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

$1,600 £1,182

$199 MX$3,441

705.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K £13.5K

$5,207 MX$90.2K

250.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 £60.9

$35.93 MX$622

129.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 £32.73

$39.39 MX$682

12.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 £67.5

$80.3 MX$1,391

13.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 £71.8

$87.6 MX$1,517

10.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 £891

$963 MX$16.7K

25.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 £729

$482 MX$8,350

104.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,062 £1,524

$1,645 MX$28.5K

25.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 £1,236

$1,192 MX$20.6K

40.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

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: April 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,206 in Lerwick and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82 in Lerwick vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $253 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 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,413 in Lerwick and $1,894 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: $1,206 in Lerwick versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,275 per month in Lerwick versus $1,262 in Playa del Carmen – a 80% 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 $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,275 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 80% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.