Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garissa and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

Jump to prices

Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $381 per month in Garissa vs $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Garissa $381
Playa del Carmen $1,210

A couple spends around $667 per month in Garissa vs $2,113 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Garissa $667
Playa del Carmen $2,113

A family of three spends $952 per month in Garissa vs $3,016 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Garissa $952
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Garissa is about 69% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Garissa and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Garissa 72% lower, Playa del Carmen 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.79 KES 1,528

$10.76 MX$199

9.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.02 KES 2,984

$43.03 MX$795

-46.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

Cappuccino

$7.73 KES 1,002

$3.87 MX$71.4

99.74%

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

$1.88 KES 244

$1.37 MX$25.29

37.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 KES 147

$0.84 MX$15.44

34.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 KES 66.9

$1.44 MX$26.55

-63.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.9

$2.23 MX$41.23

-73.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 KES 191

$1.47 MX$27.17

Eggs

$1.92 KES 249

$2.53 MX$46.71

-24.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 KES 791

$7.86 MX$145

-22.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.39 KES 698

$12.79 MX$236

-57.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 KES 490

$2.90 MX$53.6

30.34%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 KES 403

$1.44 MX$26.53

115.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 KES 608

$2.55 MX$47.07

83.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$2.06 MX$38.03

-61.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KES 158

$2.00 MX$36.97

-39.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$2.01 MX$37.07

-21.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 KES 307

$1.19 MX$22.02

99.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.3

$1.26 MX$23.23

-55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 KES 741

$9.59 MX$177

-40.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 KES 217

$1.59 MX$29.41

5.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 KES 496

$2.81 MX$51.9

35.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

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

$23.99 MX$443

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

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

$204 MX$3,763

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$129 KES 16.8K

$754 MX$13.9K

-82.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Garissa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Garissa

–

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Groceries & Markets

Garissa

–

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Eating Out

Garissa

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garissa

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Garissa

–

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Garissa

–

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Getting Around

Garissa

–

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 483% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Garissa versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $258 – making Garissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Garissa

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

16:26 4:26 PM

8 h behind Garissa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,696

149,923

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Garissa Playa del Carmen 13,810 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Garissa
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $381 in Garissa, $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – roughly 218% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $572 per month in Garissa and $1,816 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Garissa and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $381 in Garissa and $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. That's a gap of about 218%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Garissa, where all-in costs run around $381, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Garissa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $381 in Garissa to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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