Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Syros

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,533 in Syros, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Syros, Greece
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Syros
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,533
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Syros

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Syros actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,533 in Syros, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Syros $1,533

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,316 in Syros, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Syros $2,316

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,099 in Syros, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Syros $3,099

Playa del Carmen is about 21% cheaper than Syros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Syros is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Syros
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$203
$12.82 €11.49
-14.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$55.1 €49.36
-21.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$219
$10.08 €9.03
16.87%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$3.36 €3.01
13.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.89
$2.38 €2.13
-46.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.58
$0.73 €0.66
6.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$5.57 €4.99
-43.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.9
$5.20 €4.66
-5.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Syros
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.20
$1.78 €1.60
-20.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.30
$1.43 €1.28
55.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.40
$2.59 €2.33
-45.17%
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.00
$4.52 €4.05
-44.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
$15.50 €13.89
-53.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
$10.43 €9.35
-26.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$236
$14.96 €13.41
-15.17%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
$2.17 €1.95
28.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.49
$2.05 €1.84
-33.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.52
$1.34 €1.20
90.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.55
$1.77 €1.58
19.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.11
$1.19 €1.06
63.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.13
$1.18 €1.05
60.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.36
$0.89 €0.80
29.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.96
$0.70 €0.63
68.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.0
$4.98 €4.46
-13.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$8.02 €7.19
24.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.50
$2.23 €2.00
-29.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.76
$2.99 €2.68
-10.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Syros
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
$1.35 €1.21
-59.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
$53.2 €47.70
-49.99%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
$4.44 €3.97
11.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$1.10 €0.99
202.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
$5.48 €4.91
-2.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.90
$2.18 €1.95
-33.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.0K
$27.8K €24.9K
-25.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.2K
$24.1K €21.6K
-2.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Syros
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,580
$194 €174
-56.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
$25.45 €22.80
-8.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
$27.57 €24.71
3.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Syros
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
$54.1 €48.46
5.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
$25.02 €22.42
15.55%
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.7
$9.01 €8.07
-42.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Syros
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,848
$391 €350
-47.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
$3,967 €3,555
-1.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Syros
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
$88.9 €79.7
-51.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
$27.47 €24.62
50.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,382
$84.2 €75.4
-11.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,663
$82.9 €74.3
7.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Syros
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.2K
$577 €517
69.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,095
$501 €449
-24.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
$995 €892
71.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
$828 €742
29.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$1,662 €1,489
137.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.7K
$1,567 €1,404
293.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Syros
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
$966 €865
-23.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
4.44
157.88%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Syros: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Syros
$501 31.6% $120
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Syros
$293 14.9% $38
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Syros
$224 10.6% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Syros
$247 80.4% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Syros
$128 14.2% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Syros
$72 7.1% $4.8
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Syros
$69 35.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $577 in Syros. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 31% higher in Syros. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $55 in Syros. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $293 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇷 Syros
🕒 Local time
01:28 1:28 AM
08:28 8:28 AM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
1,138
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Syros 10,420 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Syros

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Syros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Syros?
Yes – Syros is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,299 in Syros. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Syros, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $577 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Syros?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,533 in Syros. That makes Playa del Carmen about 21% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 50% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Syros?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Syros at $1,533. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Syros it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Syros?
It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,533 in Syros. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Syros makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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