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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,327 in Garliava versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,033 in Garliava versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,738 in Garliava versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Garliava is roughly 4% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Garliava 1% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.79 €10.22

$11.87 MX$207

-0.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 €55.4

$42.90 MX$749

49.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 €5.98

$10.65 MX$186

-35.21%

Cappuccino

$3.16 €2.74

$3.45 MX$60.2

-8.41%

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

$2.21 €1.92

$1.50 MX$26.24

47.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.95 MX$16.56

86.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.32 €4.61

$3.03 MX$52.8

75.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 €3.74

$4.61 MX$80.4

-6.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.21

$1.38 MX$24.01

1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 €1.60

$1.85 MX$32.24

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 €1.96

$1.61 MX$28.11

40.37%

Eggs

$2.85 €2.47

$2.59 MX$45.26

10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 €9.41

$8.26 MX$144

31.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 €6.65

$8.37 MX$146

-8.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 €9.19

$10.66 MX$186

-0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.35 €1.17

$2.63 MX$45.89

-48.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 €1.39

$1.49 MX$25.96

7.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 €1.91

$1.92 MX$33.50

14.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 €2.93

$2.09 MX$36.41

61.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 €0.66

$1.86 MX$32.42

-59.14%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 €0.80

$2.26 MX$39.47

-58.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.06 MX$18.54

63.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.09 MX$18.98

-26.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 €4.89

$4.15 MX$72.4

35.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 €8.79

$10.39 MX$181

-2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.43

$1.72 MX$30.09

-4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.56

$2.61 MX$45.60

-31.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.19 €1.03

$0.54 MX$9.46

120.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.96 €28.57

$26.94 MX$470

22.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 €2.52

$3.13 MX$54.6

-7.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.88

$2.51 MX$43.82

-59.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.09 €7.88

$3.15 MX$55.0

188.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 €1.41

$1.27 MX$22.25

27.56%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$30.4K MX$530.1K

29.43%

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

$29.3K €25.4K

$23.6K MX$411.3K

24.16%

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

$211 €183

$83.0 MX$1,449

153.78%

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

$15.82 €13.71

$22.71 MX$396

-30.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.81 €12.84

$29.46 MX$514

-49.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.83 €37.13

$51.0 MX$890

-16.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.97 €19.91

$18.33 MX$320

25.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 €7.81

$4.93 MX$86.0

82.96%

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

$461 €400

$197 MX$3,444

133.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,805 €6,765

$5,280 MX$92.1K

47.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.4 €72.3

$36.90 MX$644

125.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.60 €37.79

$39.89 MX$696

9.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 €73.1

$80.0 MX$1,396

5.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 €98.5

$89.5 MX$1,561

27.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 €462

$956 MX$16.7K

-44.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 €316

$477 MX$8,327

-23.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 €709

$1,646 MX$28.7K

-50.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 €561

$1,225 MX$21.4K

-47.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,092 €2,680

$3,918 MX$68.4K

-21.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,776 €1,539

$6,459 MX$112.7K

-72.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,394 €1,208

$667 MX$11.6K

109.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.13

11.42

-63.84%

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

Last update for Garliava: June 8, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $533 in Garliava and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Garliava pays 109% 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: $64.0 in Garliava vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $250 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Garliava pays 109% 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: $533 in Garliava versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 22% less than in Garliava. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $461 in Garliava versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,327 in Garliava, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Garliava. 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 Garliava, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Garliava 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 4% less than in Garliava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.