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: $3,435 in Galway versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,835 in Galway versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,236 in Galway versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Galway is roughly 166% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Galway is 150% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.56 €20.33

$11.71 MX$199

101.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 €99.4

$46.59 MX$791

147.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.60 €15.19

$11.65 MX$198

51.07%

Cappuccino

$4.96 €4.28

$4.09 MX$69.5

21.27%

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

$3.17 €2.73

$1.37 MX$23.34

131.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 €2.06

$0.83 MX$14.16

186.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.01 €6.91

$3.35 MX$56.9

139.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.02 €6.06

$6.91 MX$117

1.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.73 MX$29.33

-0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 €2.14

$2.26 MX$38.39

9.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.77 MX$30.05

29.38%

Eggs

$4.57 €3.94

$2.73 MX$46.41

67.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.22 €14.86

$9.18 MX$156

87.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.39 €9.83

$8.92 MX$151

27.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.11 €12.17

$12.60 MX$214

11.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.04 €2.63

$3.02 MX$51.3

0.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.57 MX$26.68

43.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 €2.78

$2.13 MX$36.10

51.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 €3.63

$2.26 MX$38.46

86.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$2.00 MX$34.04

6.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.37

$2.06 MX$35.06

-22.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.18 MX$20.04

11.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.20 MX$20.45

65.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.17 €18.27

$4.63 MX$78.7

357.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.33 €12.37

$10.69 MX$182

34.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.24 €3.66

$1.62 MX$27.50

161.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 €3.91

$2.88 MX$48.93

57.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 €1.87

$0.57 MX$9.74

278.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 €55.9

$29.83 MX$507

117.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 €4.70

$5.45 MX$92.5

-0.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 €1.33

$3.70 MX$62.9

-58.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.1 €50.2

$5.98 MX$102

872.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.55 MX$26.38

40.00%

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

$41.2K €35.6K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

84.65%

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

$38.2K €32.9K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

47.14%

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

$248 €214

$89.1 MX$1,514

178.76%

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

$23.68 €20.43

$25.04 MX$425

-5.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €44.90

$31.50 MX$535

65.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.70 €39.43

$67.8 MX$1,151

-32.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.88 €19.74

$28.92 MX$491

-20.89%

Cinema Ticket

$17.39 €15.01

$5.05 MX$85.8

244.36%

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

$1,053 €909

$225 MX$3,820

368.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €91.3

$47.44 MX$806

122.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 €43.87

$44.98 MX$764

13.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €97.9

$82.0 MX$1,392

38.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$92.1 MX$1,564

29.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,363 €2,039

$1,069 MX$18.2K

121.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,033 €1,755

$405 MX$6,884

401.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,803 €3,282

$1,935 MX$32.9K

96.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 €2,450

$1,301 MX$22.1K

118.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,218 €5,366

$3,995 MX$67.9K

55.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,804 €4,145

$6,626 MX$112.5K

-27.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,955 €2,550

$749 MX$12.7K

294.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.68

11.45

-67.86%

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

Last update for Galway: September 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,363 in Galway and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Galway pays 295% 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: $115 in Galway vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $277 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 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 295% higher in Galway, 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: $2,363 in Galway versus $1,069 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 $47.00 versus $115 in Galway. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,435 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 166% less than in Galway. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.