Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scunthorpe and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,096 in Scunthorpe, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Scunthorpe
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,096
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,096 per month in Scunthorpe vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Scunthorpe $2,096
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,819 per month in Scunthorpe vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Scunthorpe $2,819
  • Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,541 per month in Scunthorpe vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • Scunthorpe $3,541
  • Playa del Carmen $3,000

Scunthorpe costs about 74% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Scunthorpe sits 55% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.09 £9.82
$10.86 MX$201
20.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.2 £66.9
$44.21 MX$817
101.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.45 £7.84
$11.76 MX$217
-11.14%
Cappuccino
$4.03 £3.03
$3.68 MX$68.0
9.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.93 £1.44
$1.34 MX$24.79
44.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.22 £0.92
$0.82 MX$15.24
48.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.18 £3.89
$3.06 MX$56.6
69.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.69 £5.02
$4.94 MX$91.2
35.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 £1.09
$1.47 MX$27.17
-0.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.58 £1.18
$2.22 MX$40.95
-28.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.48 MX$27.32
4.73%
Eggs
$3.75 £2.81
$2.49 MX$45.99
50.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.36 £4.02
$7.52 MX$139
-28.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.19 £3.89
$7.96 MX$147
-34.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.17 £5.38
$12.57 MX$232
-42.96%
Apples (1kg)
$2.28 £1.71
$2.78 MX$51.3
-17.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.88 £1.41
$1.43 MX$26.37
31.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.42 £1.81
$2.62 MX$48.37
-7.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.73 £3.55
$2.14 MX$39.49
121.03%
Potato (1kg)
$0.84 £0.63
$2.02 MX$37.38
-58.42%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 £0.69
$1.99 MX$36.74
-54.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 £0.77
$1.14 MX$21.01
-10.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.39 £1.04
$1.20 MX$22.18
15.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.81 £13.36
$4.26 MX$78.7
318.08%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.22 £6.17
$10.02 MX$185
-17.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.94 £2.95
$1.54 MX$28.41
155.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.70 £3.52
$2.66 MX$49.17
76.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.64 £2.73
$0.53 MX$9.73
586.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$96.4 £72.3
$27.51 MX$508
250.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.49 £3.37
$4.90 MX$90.6
-8.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.72 £2.04
$3.43 MX$63.5
-20.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.01 £6.01
$5.38 MX$99.4
48.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.10 £1.58
$1.45 MX$26.76
44.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.3K £28.8K
$21.2K MX$391.0K
81.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.8K £30.6K
$23.0K MX$425.3K
77.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 £151
$85.4 MX$1,577
136.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.90 £12.68
$23.46 MX$434
-27.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.68 £34.27
$28.43 MX$525
60.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$95.1 £71.3
$62.2 MX$1,149
52.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$28.68 MX$530
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.73 £6.55
$5.10 MX$94.3
71.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,643 £1,232
$201 MX$3,715
716.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.4K £12.3K
$3,947 MX$72.9K
315.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.68 £29.77
$44.39 MX$820
-10.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.18 £15.14
$41.35 MX$764
-51.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.2 £57.9
$72.7 MX$1,344
6.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.1 £58.6
$89.6 MX$1,656
-12.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,216 £912
$979 MX$18.1K
24.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,015 £762
$373 MX$6,887
172.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,284 £963
$1,681 MX$31.1K
-23.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 £821
$1,095 MX$20.2K
-0.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,464 £4,099
$3,949 MX$73.0K
38.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,050 £3,039
$6,137 MX$113.4K
-34.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,942 £1,457
$738 MX$13.6K
163.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.61
11.45
-51.00%

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

Last update for Scunthorpe: October 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Scunthorpe
$1K
Playa del Carmen
$373 63.3% $643
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Scunthorpe
$264
Playa del Carmen
$137 48.1% $127
Groceries & Markets
Scunthorpe
$242
Playa del Carmen
$258 6.9% $17
Eating Out
Scunthorpe
$236
Playa del Carmen
$200 15.3% $36
Getting Around
Scunthorpe
$129
Playa del Carmen
$52 59.9% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Scunthorpe
$113
Playa del Carmen
$72 35.7% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Scunthorpe
$97
Playa del Carmen
$112 15.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,216 in Scunthorpe versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. 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 163% higher in Scunthorpe, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Scunthorpe versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Scunthorpe vs $258 in Playa del Carmen – so Scunthorpe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Scunthorpe
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
09:51 9:51 AM
03:51 3:51 AM
6 h behind Scunthorpe
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
81,576
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Scunthorpe Playa del Carmen 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Scunthorpe
  • Playa del Carmen

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
Scunthorpe vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than Scunthorpe?
Yes – Scunthorpe is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,144 per month in Scunthorpe and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. 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 Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Scunthorpe and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,096 in Scunthorpe and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 74%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 250% 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 Scunthorpe or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Scunthorpe at $2,096. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Scunthorpe it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Scunthorpe or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Scunthorpe makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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