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: $2,302 in Lerwick versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,380 in Lerwick versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Lerwick versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lerwick is roughly 83% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lerwick is 72% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 £15.49

$11.95 MX$208

73.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 £60.8

$41.94 MX$730

93.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 £7.64

$10.42 MX$181

-1.92%

Cappuccino

$4.73 £3.54

$3.51 MX$61.2

34.76%

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

$2.34 £1.75

$1.52 MX$26.39

53.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 £1.25

$0.91 MX$15.84

83.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.26 £4.68

$3.04 MX$52.9

105.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 £4.69

$4.37 MX$76.1

43.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.42 MX$24.73

11.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 £1.24

$1.83 MX$31.87

-9.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 £1.66

$1.63 MX$28.45

36.20%

Eggs

$3.79 £2.84

$2.54 MX$44.20

49.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 £7.52

$8.57 MX$149

17.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 £6.67

$8.49 MX$148

5.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 £10.36

$10.80 MX$188

28.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.06 £2.29

$2.75 MX$47.94

11.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$1.44 MX$25.00

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 £2.10

$1.89 MX$32.83

48.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 £2.69

$2.17 MX$37.77

65.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.22

$1.78 MX$30.97

-8.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$2.22 MX$38.71

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.79

$1.07 MX$18.60

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.08 MX$18.79

34.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.20 £14.35

$4.15 MX$72.2

362.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 £8.31

$10.45 MX$182

6.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 £2.08

$1.74 MX$30.34

59.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 £2.32

$2.58 MX$44.92

20.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 £2.48

$0.51 MX$8.94

550.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 £65.0

$25.94 MX$451

235.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 £4.05

$3.21 MX$55.9

68.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.14

$2.50 MX$43.55

-38.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.37 £17.47

$3.19 MX$55.4

632.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.26 MX$21.87

54.76%

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

$38.6K £28.9K

$29.7K MX$516.6K

30.14%

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

$41.4K £30.9K

$23.7K MX$412.1K

74.79%

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

$290 £217

$82.0 MX$1,427

254.05%

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

$17.43 £13.03

$22.73 MX$395

-23.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.53 £32.55

$29.42 MX$512

47.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.06 £34.44

$52.2 MX$908

-11.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 £10.10

$4.93 MX$85.9

174.04%

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

$1,621 £1,212

$202 MX$3,511

703.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K £13.7K

$5,217 MX$90.8K

252.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 £63.2

$35.93 MX$625

135.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.09 £32.21

$40.33 MX$702

6.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 £69.2

$79.9 MX$1,390

15.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 £74.3

$89.3 MX$1,554

11.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 £916

$948 MX$16.5K

29.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 £750

$465 MX$8,097

115.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 £1,519

$1,630 MX$28.4K

24.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 £1,294

$1,193 MX$20.8K

45.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,543 £3,396

$3,933 MX$68.4K

15.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$111.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

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: July 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,225 in Lerwick and $948 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 $299 vs $252 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 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,453 in Lerwick and $1,888 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: $1,225 in Lerwick versus $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,302 per month in Lerwick versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen – a 83% 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 235% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,302 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 83% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.