Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galveston, TX and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,222 in Galveston, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Galveston, TX
Learn more

Galveston, TX Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Galveston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,222

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,222 per month in Galveston, TX vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Galveston, TX $2,222
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,215 per month in Galveston, TX vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Galveston, TX $3,215
Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,209 per month in Galveston, TX vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Galveston, TX $4,209
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Galveston, TX costs about 84% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Galveston, TX sits 63% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.04 $22.04

$10.92 MX$203

101.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 $76.5

$43.37 MX$808

76.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.78 MX$219

2.89%

Cappuccino

$7.95 $7.95

$3.81 MX$71.0

108.66%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$1.28 MX$23.89

121.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.78 MX$14.58

126.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 $5.15

$3.17 MX$59.0

62.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.93 MX$91.9

-17.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.41 MX$26.20

-42.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.22 MX$41.30

15.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.42 MX$26.40

97.89%

Eggs

$2.75 $2.75

$2.52 MX$47.00

9.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$7.26 MX$135

57.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 $9.54

$7.70 MX$143

23.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 $13.24

$12.69 MX$236

4.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$2.78 MX$51.9

96.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.37 MX$25.49

14.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.55 MX$47.52

24.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.12 MX$39.55

77.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.94 MX$36.11

9.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.89 MX$35.13

32.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.15 MX$21.36

56.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.18 MX$21.96

51.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 $9.91

$4.30 MX$80.0

130.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 $10.90

$9.95 MX$185

9.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.58 MX$29.50

13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.67 MX$49.76

-33.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.55 MX$10.31

254.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.77 $32.77

$26.62 MX$496

23.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.90 $9.90

$4.97 MX$92.6

99.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$3.33 MX$62.1

-45.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 $60.6

$5.36 MX$99.8

1031.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.44 MX$26.90

-34.03%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$20.7K MX$385.0K

29.91%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$23.5K MX$437.2K

12.36%

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

$176 $176

$84.8 MX$1,580

107.78%

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

$42.42 $42.42

$23.41 MX$436

81.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.79 $39.79

$28.66 MX$534

38.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.89 $34.89

$57.1 MX$1,063

-38.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 $11.17

$5.14 MX$95.7

117.32%

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

$759 $759

$207 MX$3,848

267.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K $18.2K

$3,927 MX$73.2K

364.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.12 $44.12

$43.35 MX$808

1.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 $38.49

$41.44 MX$772

-7.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 $73.4

$74.2 MX$1,382

-1.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 $81.1

$89.3 MX$1,663

-9.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 $1,186

$980 MX$18.2K

21.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 $1,059

$381 MX$7,095

178.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 $2,118

$1,708 MX$31.8K

24.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 $1,579

$1,075 MX$20.0K

46.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,698 $2,698

$3,943 MX$73.5K

-31.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,158 $2,158

$6,158 MX$114.7K

-64.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,045 $4,045

$735 MX$13.7K

450.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.45

-42.62%

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

Last update for Galveston, TX: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Galveston, TX

$1.1K 47.7%

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6% 64% $678

Eating Out

Galveston, TX

$360 16.2%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8% 43.8% $158

Groceries & Markets

Galveston, TX

$320 14.4%

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2% 20.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galveston, TX

$258 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 47% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Galveston, TX

$107 4.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 4.7% $5

Getting Around

Galveston, TX

$60 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 15.3% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Galveston, TX

$57 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6% 17.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,186 in Galveston, TX versus $980 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 in Galveston, TX are about 5.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77 in Galveston, TX versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Galveston, TX

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

Same time as Galveston, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,695

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 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 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.79 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Galveston, TX Playa del Carmen 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Galveston, TX
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

Galveston, TX vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,222 in Galveston, TX, $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen comes out roughly 46% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,333 per month in Galveston, TX and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,186 in Galveston, TX.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,222 in Galveston, TX and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 46% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Galveston, TX at $2,222. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Galveston, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Galveston, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.