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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $495 in Gampaha versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $868 in Gampaha versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,241 in Gampaha versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gampaha costs roughly 62% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gampaha 63% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.63 LKR 539

$11.73 MX$203

-86.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.26 LKR 8,374

$41.62 MX$720

-39.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 LKR 1,683

$10.64 MX$184

-52.26%

Cappuccino

$2.22 LKR 735

$3.52 MX$60.9

-36.93%

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

$0.70 LKR 232

$1.51 MX$26.12

-53.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.97 MX$16.84

-61.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 LKR 706

$2.95 MX$51.0

-27.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 LKR 545

$4.45 MX$77.0

-63.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 LKR 573

$1.38 MX$23.93

25.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 LKR 173

$1.89 MX$32.72

-72.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 244

$1.64 MX$28.32

-55.49%

Eggs

$2.21 LKR 733

$2.51 MX$43.34

-11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.25 LKR 4,724

$8.34 MX$144

70.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.46 LKR 1,478

$8.34 MX$144

-46.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.93 LKR 2,631

$10.73 MX$186

-26.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.80 LKR 2,254

$2.60 MX$45.04

161.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 LKR 354

$1.46 MX$25.20

-26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.67 LKR 1,881

$1.90 MX$32.87

198.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 LKR 414

$2.08 MX$35.91

-39.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 LKR 354

$1.78 MX$30.71

-39.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 LKR 445

$2.19 MX$37.80

-38.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 LKR 115

$1.04 MX$17.99

-66.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 LKR 126

$1.08 MX$18.62

-64.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.00 LKR 3,314

$4.08 MX$70.6

145.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 LKR 4,332

$10.32 MX$178

26.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 LKR 508

$1.71 MX$29.61

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 LKR 883

$2.58 MX$44.54

3.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 104

$0.51 MX$8.81

-39.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 LKR 106

$3.26 MX$56.4

-90.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 LKR 107

$2.49 MX$43.09

-87.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 LKR 192

$3.25 MX$56.2

-82.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 LKR 402

$1.31 MX$22.61

-7.63%

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

$27.1K LKR 9.0M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-10.61%

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

$34.3K LKR 11.4M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

46.18%

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

$29.59 LKR 9,812

$82.9 MX$1,433

-64.29%

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

$3.41 LKR 1,131

$22.22 MX$384

-84.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.33 LKR 4,087

$29.34 MX$507

-57.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$8.60 LKR 2,850

$51.6 MX$893

-83.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$3.39 LKR 1,124

$5.07 MX$87.6

-33.14%

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

$16.54 LKR 5,484

$201 MX$3,473

-91.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$136 LKR 45.2K

$5,212 MX$90.1K

-97.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.10 LKR 9,317

$36.92 MX$639

-23.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.08 LKR 3,343

$39.79 MX$688

-74.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 LKR 22.5K

$78.5 MX$1,357

-13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.03 LKR 8,963

$87.1 MX$1,506

-68.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$98.5 LKR 32.7K

$973 MX$16.8K

-89.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$61.5 LKR 20.4K

$468 MX$8,090

-86.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$341 LKR 113.1K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-79.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$187 LKR 61.8K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-84.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$223 LKR 74.1K

$664 MX$11.5K

-66.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-12.43%

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

Last update for Gampaha: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $98.5 in Gampaha and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 197% 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: $25.00 in Gampaha vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $249 per month, with Gampaha 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

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

Gampaha and Playa del Carmen differ by about 162% in total monthly costs ($495 vs $1,297 including rent). Gampaha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Playa del Carmen earns 197% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $98.5 in Gampaha versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $16.54 in Gampaha 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 Gampaha – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $495 in Gampaha versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gampaha but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gampaha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 162% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.