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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Gela versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,063 in Gela versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,854 in Gela versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gela costs roughly 2% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gela 7% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.55 €9.94

$11.71 MX$198

-1.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 €49.85

$46.59 MX$786

24.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.61 €8.27

$11.65 MX$197

-17.51%

Cappuccino

$1.76 €1.52

$4.09 MX$69.1

-56.97%

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

$2.37 €2.04

$1.37 MX$23.20

72.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.11

$0.83 MX$14.07

56.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.10 €3.53

$3.35 MX$56.6

22.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 €3.42

$6.91 MX$117

-42.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.73 MX$29.15

-25.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 €1.58

$2.26 MX$38.15

-18.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.77 MX$29.86

33.33%

Eggs

$3.11 €2.68

$2.73 MX$46.12

13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 €13.11

$9.18 MX$155

66.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.48 €10.74

$8.92 MX$151

39.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.99 €15.48

$12.60 MX$213

42.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 €2.67

$3.02 MX$51.0

2.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$1.57 MX$26.51

39.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 €1.92

$2.13 MX$35.88

4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.39 €2.05

$2.26 MX$38.22

5.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$2.00 MX$33.82

-15.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 €2.51

$2.06 MX$34.85

41.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.18 MX$19.91

17.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 €0.35

$1.20 MX$20.32

-65.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.94 €5.97

$4.63 MX$78.2

49.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 €6.81

$10.69 MX$180

-26.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.62 MX$27.33

30.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 €1.90

$2.88 MX$48.63

-23.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.57 MX$9.68

171.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.81 €36.83

$29.83 MX$503

43.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.83 €10.18

$5.45 MX$91.9

117.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €1.94

$3.70 MX$62.5

-39.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.68 €29.84

$5.98 MX$101

479.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.55 MX$26.22

29.03%

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

$36.9K €31.8K

$22.3K MX$376.8K

65.41%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$25.9K MX$438.0K

39.55%

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

$175 €151

$89.1 MX$1,504

96.42%

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

$10.34 €8.90

$25.04 MX$423

-58.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.57 €23.72

$31.50 MX$532

-12.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 €44.66

$67.8 MX$1,144

-23.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.86 €22.26

$28.92 MX$488

-10.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.15

$5.05 MX$85.2

87.52%

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

$441 €380

$225 MX$3,797

96.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K €9,021

$4,222 MX$71.3K

148.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 €62.9

$47.44 MX$801

54.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.09 €27.62

$44.98 MX$759

-28.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 €75.9

$82.0 MX$1,384

7.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 €113

$92.1 MX$1,555

42.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$315 €271

$1,069 MX$18.0K

-70.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$280 €241

$405 MX$6,842

-30.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 €442

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-73.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 €489

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-56.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,229 €1,918

$3,995 MX$67.4K

-44.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,062 €914

$6,626 MX$111.8K

-83.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

11.45

-66.81%

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

Last update for Gela: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $315 in Gela and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $58.0 in Gela vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $317 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

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

Gela is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,909 in Gela and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $315 in Gela versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $441 in Gela versus $225 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,273 in Gela versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gela but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gela is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Gela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.