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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,674 per month in Scunthorpe vs $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,666 per month in Scunthorpe vs $2,137 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,657 per month in Scunthorpe vs $3,017 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Scunthorpe costs about 33% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Scunthorpe sits 25% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.40 £10.72
$11.99 MX$209
20.10%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.7 £60.1
$41.78 MX$728
93.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.13 £7.54
$10.75 MX$187
-5.77%
Cappuccino
$4.03 £3.00
$3.50 MX$60.9
15.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 £1.46
$1.45 MX$25.22
35.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 £0.92
$0.88 MX$15.41
39.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.85 £3.61
$2.95 MX$51.3
64.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.30 £3.94
$4.51 MX$78.6
17.52%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 £1.11
$1.43 MX$24.94
4.20%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 £1.28
$1.84 MX$31.99
-6.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 £1.21
$1.57 MX$27.31
3.18%
Eggs
$4.11 £3.06
$2.51 MX$43.74
63.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.33 £3.97
$8.28 MX$144
-35.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.33 £3.97
$8.43 MX$147
-36.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.67 £5.71
$10.68 MX$186
-28.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.44 £1.81
$2.61 MX$45.43
-6.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 £1.44
$1.44 MX$25.04
34.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.07 £2.29
$1.96 MX$34.16
56.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.79 £2.82
$2.09 MX$36.47
81.34%
Potato (1kg)
$0.86 £0.64
$1.85 MX$32.24
-53.51%
Onion (1kg)
$0.96 £0.72
$2.17 MX$37.74
-55.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 £0.75
$1.03 MX$17.96
-2.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 £1.42
$1.07 MX$18.70
78.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.20 £13.55
$4.10 MX$71.4
343.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.85 £5.84
$10.17 MX$177
-22.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.84 £2.12
$1.68 MX$29.17
69.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 £1.39
$2.53 MX$43.98
-26.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$5.45 £4.06
$0.51 MX$8.87
968.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$68.1 £50.7
$26.04 MX$453
161.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.40 £4.77
$3.23 MX$56.3
98.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.39 £1.03
$2.41 MX$41.88
-42.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.31 £6.19
$3.23 MX$56.2
157.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.95 £1.45
$1.32 MX$23.00
47.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.9K £28.2K
$29.7K MX$517.1K
27.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.8K £32.6K
$23.7K MX$412.0K
85.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$296 £221
$82.0 MX$1,428
261.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.47 £13.01
$22.95 MX$400
-23.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.19 £32.16
$30.11 MX$524
43.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$95.3 £70.9
$52.0 MX$905
83.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.53 MX$323
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.69 £6.47
$4.98 MX$86.6
74.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,583 £1,178
$197 MX$3,438
701.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,733 £5,013
$5,336 MX$92.9K
26.18%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.31 £30.01
$35.60 MX$620
13.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.67 £15.39
$40.33 MX$702
-48.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.3 £62.8
$78.8 MX$1,371
7.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.4 £54.6
$88.9 MX$1,549
-17.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$827 £615
$947 MX$16.5K
-12.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$562 £419
$474 MX$8,254
18.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 £947
$1,644 MX$28.6K
-22.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,135 £845
$1,211 MX$21.1K
-6.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,508 £4,101
$4,056 MX$70.6K
35.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,470 MX$112.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Scunthorpe
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,915 £1,426
$654 MX$11.4K
192.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.6
11.42
-50.96%

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

Last update for Scunthorpe: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $827 in Scunthorpe versus $947 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 193% 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 $81.0 in Scunthorpe versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $241 in Scunthorpe vs $249 in Playa del Carmen – so Scunthorpe wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 33%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,511 per month in Scunthorpe and $1,884 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 $1,674 in Scunthorpe and $1,256 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 161% 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 $1,256, than in Scunthorpe at $1,674. 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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