Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gampaha and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Gampaha: $453 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

22

Cost of Living Index in Gampaha
Learn more

Gampaha Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Gampaha

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$453

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $453 in Gampaha versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Gampaha $453
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $768 in Gampaha versus $2,102 in Playa del Carmen.

Gampaha $768
Playa del Carmen $2,102

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,083 in Gampaha versus $3,000 in Playa del Carmen.

Gampaha $1,083
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Living in Gampaha costs roughly 62% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gampaha 67% lower, Playa del Carmen 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.84 LKR 609

$10.86 MX$201

-83.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.22 LKR 6,034

$44.21 MX$817

-58.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.20 LKR 1,721

$11.76 MX$217

-55.78%

Cappuccino

$1.24 LKR 410

$3.68 MX$68.0

-66.30%

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

$0.53 LKR 176

$1.34 MX$24.79

-60.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.1

$0.82 MX$15.24

-69.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 LKR 701

$3.06 MX$56.6

-30.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 LKR 1,010

$4.94 MX$91.2

-38.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 LKR 539

$1.47 MX$27.17

10.88%

White Bread (500g)

$0.41 LKR 135

$2.22 MX$40.95

-81.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 241

$1.48 MX$27.32

-50.68%

Eggs

$1.65 LKR 548

$2.49 MX$45.99

-33.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 LKR 4,607

$7.52 MX$139

84.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 LKR 1,334

$7.96 MX$147

-49.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.43 LKR 2,460

$12.57 MX$232

-40.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 LKR 1,972

$2.78 MX$51.3

114.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.82 LKR 270

$1.43 MX$26.37

-42.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 LKR 1,493

$2.62 MX$48.37

72.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 LKR 436

$2.14 MX$39.49

-38.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 LKR 314

$2.02 MX$37.38

-52.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 277

$1.99 MX$36.74

-57.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 LKR 94.8

$1.14 MX$21.01

-74.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 LKR 114

$1.20 MX$22.18

-71.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 LKR 3,273

$4.26 MX$78.7

131.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.04 LKR 4,319

$10.02 MX$185

30.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 LKR 447

$1.54 MX$28.41

-12.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 LKR 808

$2.66 MX$49.17

-8.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 95.2

$0.53 MX$9.73

-45.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.51 MX$508

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.29 LKR 95.0

$4.90 MX$90.6

-94.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 LKR 120

$3.43 MX$63.5

-89.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 LKR 295

$5.38 MX$99.4

-83.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 LKR 388

$1.45 MX$26.76

-19.31%

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

$30.6K LKR 10.1M

$21.2K MX$391.0K

44.40%

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

$39.9K LKR 13.2M

$23.0K MX$425.3K

73.38%

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

$27.15 LKR 8,994

$85.4 MX$1,577

-68.19%

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

$2.99 LKR 991

$23.46 MX$434

-87.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.85 LKR 3,592

$28.43 MX$525

-61.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.73 LKR 2,561

$62.2 MX$1,149

-87.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.68 MX$530

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 LKR 1,508

$5.10 MX$94.3

-10.78%

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

$14.93 LKR 4,944

$201 MX$3,715

-92.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$121 LKR 40.1K

$3,947 MX$72.9K

-96.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.28 LKR 6,054

$44.39 MX$820

-58.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.02 LKR 2,987

$41.35 MX$764

-78.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.9 LKR 19.8K

$72.7 MX$1,344

-17.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$23.95 LKR 7,933

$89.6 MX$1,656

-73.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$90.2 LKR 29.9K

$979 MX$18.1K

-90.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$56.4 LKR 18.7K

$373 MX$6,887

-84.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$302 LKR 100.2K

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-82.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 LKR 54.0K

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-85.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,949 MX$73.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,137 MX$113.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$231 LKR 76.4K

$738 MX$13.6K

-68.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-12.66%

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

Last update for Gampaha: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Gampaha

$221 48.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 17% $38

Eating Out

Gampaha

$65 14.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 208% $135

Accommodation & Living

Gampaha

$56 12.5%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 561% $316

Clothing & Footwear

Gampaha

$50 11%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 123% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gampaha

$41 9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 235% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Gampaha

$17 3.7%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 330% $56

Getting Around

Gampaha

$3.2 * 0.7%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 1495% $48

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 $90.2 in Gampaha and $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 220% 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: $18.00 in Gampaha vs $44.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $258 per month, with Gampaha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Gampaha

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:08 5:08 PM

06:38 6:38 AM

10 h 30 min behind Gampaha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

149,923

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gampaha Playa del Carmen 16,620 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Gampaha
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

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

Gampaha and Playa del Carmen differ by about 166% in total monthly costs ($453 vs $1,204 including rent). Gampaha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 220% lower in Playa del Carmen. 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: $90.2 in Gampaha versus $979 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $14.93 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 $18.00 versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $453 in Gampaha versus $1,204 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 166% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.