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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,405 in Lochboisdale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,629 in Lochboisdale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,852 in Lochboisdale.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 48% less than in Lochboisdale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Lochboisdale is 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$20.56 £15.19

-43.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$740

$100 £74.0

-57.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$9.47 £7.00

11.93%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.2

$4.78 £3.53

-24.90%

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

$1.45 MX$25.15

$2.24 £1.66

-35.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.55

$1.51 £1.11

-40.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.5

$6.88 £5.08

-55.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.0

$6.71 £4.96

-32.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.14

$1.73 £1.28

-16.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.64

$1.66 £1.23

10.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.85

$2.67 £1.97

-39.70%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.95

$3.83 £2.83

-33.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$9.94 £7.35

-14.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$9.09 £6.71

-6.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$13.98 £10.33

-22.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.26

$3.31 £2.45

-17.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.85

$1.87 £1.38

-20.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.65

$3.35 £2.48

-42.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.49

$3.57 £2.64

-39.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.97

$1.72 £1.27

7.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.91

$1.92 £1.42

14.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.58

$1.27 £0.94

-15.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$1.59 £1.17

-32.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.3

$20.77 £15.35

-80.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$181

$11.07 £8.18

-5.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.64

$2.99 £2.21

-44.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.13

$3.31 £2.45

-22.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$3.42 £2.53

-83.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$454

$87.1 £64.4

-69.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.4

$5.36 £3.96

-41.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.08

$2.24 £1.66

5.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$27.37 £20.23

-88.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.76

$2.00 £1.48

-34.50%

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

$30.5K MX$528.9K

$37.9K £28.0K

-19.49%

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

$23.8K MX$412.6K

$39.4K £29.1K

-39.52%

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

$83.1 MX$1,440

$381 £281

-78.17%

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

$22.15 MX$384

$17.97 £13.28

23.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$509

$41.03 £30.32

-28.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$887

$46.65 £34.47

9.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.7

$17.53 £12.96

-72.10%

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

$199 MX$3,441

$1,162 £859

-82.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.2K

$18.4K £13.6K

-71.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$622

$122 £90.1

-70.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$682

$50.9 £37.61

-22.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,391

$108 £80.0

-25.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,517

$109 £80.7

-19.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$1,224 £905

-21.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,350

$1,000 £739

-51.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.5K

$2,016 £1,490

-18.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.6K

$1,716 £1,268

-30.55%

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 %)

11.42

5.32

114.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Last update for Lochboisdale: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $1,224 in Lochboisdale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $100 in Lochboisdale for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $313 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,894 in Playa del Carmen and $3,608 in Lochboisdale 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,224 in Lochboisdale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $199 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,162 in Lochboisdale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lochboisdale. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,405 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 91% less than in Lochboisdale. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.