Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gallup, NM and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,056 in Gallup, NM, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Gallup, NM
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Gallup, NM Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Gallup, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,056

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gallup, NM 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 Gallup, NM and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,056 in Gallup, NM versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Gallup, NM $2,056
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,041 in Gallup, NM versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Gallup, NM $3,041
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,027 in Gallup, NM versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Gallup, NM $4,027
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Gallup, NM is roughly 71% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gallup, NM is 52% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.33 $17.33

$10.86 MX$201

59.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$44.21 MX$817

78.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$11.76 MX$217

1.19%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$3.68 MX$68.0

49.46%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$1.34 MX$24.79

114.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.82 MX$15.24

191.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.21 $6.21

$3.06 MX$56.6

102.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.94 MX$91.2

40.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.47 MX$27.17

-21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$4.24 $4.24

$2.22 MX$40.95

90.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$1.48 MX$27.32

281.76%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$2.49 MX$45.99

70.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.43 $16.43

$7.52 MX$139

118.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.86 $20.86

$7.96 MX$147

162.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 $16.68

$12.57 MX$232

32.70%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.78 MX$51.3

120.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.43 MX$26.37

-6.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.62 MX$48.37

46.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.14 MX$39.49

123.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.02 MX$37.38

40.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.99 MX$36.74

4.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.14 MX$21.01

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.20 MX$22.18

102.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$4.26 MX$78.7

156.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.02 MX$185

-1.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.54 MX$28.41

33.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.66 MX$49.17

58.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.53 MX$9.73

247.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.90 MX$90.6

-39.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$3.43 MX$63.5

-56.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.71 $27.71

$5.38 MX$99.4

415.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.45 MX$26.76

-31.72%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

24.46%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

12.12%

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

$199 $199

$85.4 MX$1,577

132.65%

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

$45.36 $45.36

$23.46 MX$434

93.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 $50.0

$28.43 MX$525

75.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.31 $44.31

$62.2 MX$1,149

-28.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 $17.67

$5.10 MX$94.3

246.47%

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

$1,010 $1,010

$201 MX$3,715

402.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K $15.3K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

287.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.53 $37.53

$44.39 MX$820

-15.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$41.35 MX$764

35.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 $78.7

$72.7 MX$1,344

8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$89.6 MX$1,656

35.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 $909

$979 MX$18.1K

-7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 $765

$373 MX$6,887

105.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 $1,387

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-17.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 $1,123

$1,095 MX$20.2K

2.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,818 $2,818

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-28.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,439 $2,439

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-60.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,353 $2,353

$738 MX$13.6K

219.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-56.33%

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

Last update for Gallup, NM: October 18, 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

Gallup, NM

$765 37.2%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 51.3% $392

Groceries & Markets

Gallup, NM

$461 22.4%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 44% $203

Eating Out

Gallup, NM

$306 14.9%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 34.7% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gallup, NM

$294 14.3%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 53.3% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Gallup, NM

$132 6.4%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 15.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Gallup, NM

$80 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 9.1% $7.3

Getting Around

Gallup, NM

$18 * 0.9%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 191% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $909 in Gallup, NM and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gallup, NM pays 219% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Gallup, NM vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $461 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Gallup, NM

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

18:31 6:31 PM

19:31 7:31 PM

1 h ahead of Gallup, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,605

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gallup, NM Playa del Carmen 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Gallup, NM
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

Gallup, NM vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 219% higher in Gallup, NM, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $909 in Gallup, NM versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,010 in Gallup, NM versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $79.0 in Gallup, NM. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,056 in Gallup, NM, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gallup, NM. 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 Gallup, NM, 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 71% less than in Gallup, NM. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.