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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,128 in Galway versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,347 in Galway versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,566 in Galway versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Galway is roughly 141% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Galway is 133% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 €15.77

$11.73 MX$203

56.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 €81.2

$41.62 MX$720

126.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 €8.94

$10.64 MX$184

-2.35%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.65

$3.52 MX$60.9

20.74%

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

$2.42 €2.08

$1.51 MX$26.12

60.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.40

$0.97 MX$16.84

67.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 €5.79

$2.95 MX$51.0

128.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.35 €5.46

$4.45 MX$77.0

42.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.38 MX$23.93

8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 €2.22

$1.89 MX$32.72

36.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.64 MX$28.32

31.10%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.38

$2.51 MX$43.34

56.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 €10.83

$8.34 MX$144

50.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.62 €9.13

$8.34 MX$144

27.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.09 €10.40

$10.73 MX$186

12.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 €2.50

$2.60 MX$45.04

11.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.79

$1.46 MX$25.20

43.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 €2.46

$1.90 MX$32.87

50.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.08 MX$35.91

67.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$1.78 MX$30.71

-19.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 €1.26

$2.19 MX$37.80

-32.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.20

$1.04 MX$17.99

34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.08 MX$18.62

46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.77 €17.01

$4.08 MX$70.6

384.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.39 €12.38

$10.32 MX$178

39.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.30

$1.71 MX$29.61

191.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 €4.35

$2.58 MX$44.54

96.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 €1.91

$0.51 MX$8.81

335.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 €59.3

$26.46 MX$458

160.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 €4.32

$3.26 MX$56.4

54.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.49 MX$43.09

-46.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.73 €37.61

$3.25 MX$56.2

1245.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.31 MX$22.61

59.54%

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

$42.2K €36.3K

$30.3K MX$523.7K

39.22%

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

$39.1K €33.7K

$23.4K MX$405.3K

67.03%

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

$285 €245

$82.9 MX$1,433

243.43%

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

$21.92 €18.85

$22.22 MX$384

-1.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 €47.74

$29.34 MX$507

89.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$51.6 MX$893

10.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.68 €7.47

$18.32 MX$317

-52.62%

Cinema Ticket

$13.80 €11.87

$5.07 MX$87.6

172.19%

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

$1,066 €917

$201 MX$3,473

430.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,946 €6,835

$5,212 MX$90.1K

52.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €78.4

$36.92 MX$639

146.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 €34.46

$39.79 MX$688

0.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €86.4

$78.5 MX$1,357

28.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €91.8

$87.1 MX$1,506

22.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 €1,725

$973 MX$16.8K

106.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 €1,483

$468 MX$8,090

268.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 €2,907

$1,641 MX$28.4K

105.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,517 €2,165

$1,221 MX$21.1K

106.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,193 €5,327

$3,946 MX$68.3K

56.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,705 €4,047

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-27.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,228 €2,777

$664 MX$11.5K

386.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

11.42

-57.97%

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

Last update for Galway: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,005 in Galway and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 386% 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: $94.0 in Galway vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $249 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

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

Galway vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 141% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Galway pays 386% more on average, 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: $2,005 in Galway versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Galway. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $94.0 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,128 in Galway, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Galway. 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 Galway, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Galway and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.