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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,442 in Lochboisdale versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,604 in Lochboisdale versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,766 in Lochboisdale versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Lochboisdale is roughly 88% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lochboisdale is 82% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 £15.02

$11.73 MX$205

70.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.8 £72.6

$41.62 MX$727

132.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 £6.96

$10.64 MX$186

-12.78%

Cappuccino

$4.86 £3.64

$3.52 MX$61.4

38.07%

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

$2.25 £1.69

$1.51 MX$26.37

49.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.12

$0.97 MX$17.00

54.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 £5.13

$2.95 MX$51.5

132.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 £4.95

$4.45 MX$77.8

48.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.38 MX$24.16

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 £1.28

$1.89 MX$33.03

-10.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.77 £2.08

$1.64 MX$28.59

68.90%

Eggs

$3.83 £2.87

$2.51 MX$43.76

52.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.88 £7.41

$8.34 MX$146

18.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 £7.02

$8.34 MX$146

12.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 £10.52

$10.73 MX$187

30.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 £2.50

$2.60 MX$45.47

28.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.46 MX$25.45

28.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 £2.52

$1.90 MX$33.19

76.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 £2.76

$2.08 MX$36.26

76.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.23

$1.78 MX$31.01

-8.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 £1.43

$2.19 MX$38.16

-13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 £0.91

$1.04 MX$18.16

16.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 £1.23

$1.08 MX$18.80

50.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.28 £15.95

$4.08 MX$71.3

421.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.06 £8.29

$10.32 MX$180

7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.15

$1.71 MX$29.90

67.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.48

$2.58 MX$44.97

27.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 £2.53

$0.51 MX$8.90

562.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.9 £67.4

$26.46 MX$462

239.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 £4.00

$3.26 MX$57.0

63.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 £1.75

$2.49 MX$43.50

-6.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.25 £20.43

$3.25 MX$56.7

738.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$1.31 MX$22.83

48.85%

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

$38.3K £28.8K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

26.64%

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

$39.5K £29.6K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

68.40%

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

$389 £292

$82.9 MX$1,447

369.99%

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

$17.78 £13.33

$22.22 MX$388

-19.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.41 £31.05

$29.34 MX$512

41.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.03 £33.76

$51.6 MX$902

-12.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$17.72 £13.29

$5.07 MX$88.5

249.51%

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

$1,157 £867

$201 MX$3,507

476.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K £13.8K

$5,212 MX$91.0K

253.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$123 £92.1

$36.92 MX$645

232.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.82 £37.35

$39.79 MX$695

25.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 £79.5

$78.5 MX$1,370

35.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 £81.6

$87.1 MX$1,521

24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 £934

$973 MX$17.0K

28.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$985 £739

$468 MX$8,168

110.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 £1,512

$1,641 MX$28.7K

22.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,728 £1,296

$1,221 MX$21.3K

41.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,515 £4,135

$3,946 MX$68.9K

39.76%

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 %)

5.32

11.42

-53.42%

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

Last update for Lochboisdale: May 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,246 in Lochboisdale and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $97.0 in Lochboisdale vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 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

Lochboisdale 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 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,662 in Lochboisdale 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: $1,246 in Lochboisdale versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,157 in Lochboisdale versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Lochboisdale. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,442 in Lochboisdale, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Lochboisdale. 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 Lochboisdale, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Lochboisdale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.