Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $4,936 in George Town, rent and utilities included – about $44,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

238

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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George Town

🇰🇾 Cayman Islands

$4,936

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,936 in George Town versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

George Town $4,936
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,405 in George Town versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

George Town $7,405
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,875 in George Town versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

George Town $9,875
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in George Town is roughly 308% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: George Town is 266% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.24 KYD 24.80

$10.76 MX$199

181.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$115 KYD 94.0

$43.03 MX$795

166.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.97 KYD 13.91

$11.79 MX$218

43.94%

Cappuccino

$7.16 KYD 5.87

$3.87 MX$71.4

85.01%

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

$2.99 KYD 2.45

$1.37 MX$25.29

118.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 KYD 2.35

$0.84 MX$15.44

240.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.10 KYD 5.82

$3.10 MX$57.3

129.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.42 KYD 7.73

$5.07 MX$93.6

85.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.67 KYD 3.83

$1.44 MX$26.55

224.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.23 KYD 3.47

$2.23 MX$41.23

89.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 KYD 3.61

$1.47 MX$27.17

199.32%

Eggs

$7.29 KYD 5.98

$2.53 MX$46.71

188.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$55.9 KYD 45.87

$7.30 MX$135

666.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.98 KYD 15.56

$7.86 MX$145

141.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.38 KYD 15.89

$12.79 MX$236

51.52%

Apples (1kg)

$7.47 KYD 6.12

$2.90 MX$53.6

157.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.62 KYD 2.96

$1.44 MX$26.53

151.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.01 KYD 4.93

$2.55 MX$47.07

135.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.95 KYD 6.52

$2.06 MX$38.03

285.92%

Potato (1kg)

$4.03 KYD 3.31

$2.00 MX$36.97

101.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.96 KYD 3.24

$2.01 MX$37.07

97.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.18 KYD 2.61

$1.19 MX$22.02

167.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 KYD 1.85

$1.26 MX$23.23

78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.50 KYD 11.89

$4.40 MX$81.4

229.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$25.15 KYD 20.62

$9.59 MX$177

162.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.14 KYD 3.40

$1.59 MX$29.41

160.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 KYD 4.40

$2.81 MX$51.9

91.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 KYD 1.92

$0.57 MX$10.47

310.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.7 KYD 65.4

$27.82 MX$514

186.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.10 KYD 15.66

$4.98 MX$92.1

283.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.86 KYD 3.16

$3.50 MX$64.6

10.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.76 KYD 37.52

$5.40 MX$99.8

747.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.65 KYD 1.35

$1.47 MX$27.08

12.24%

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

$42.3K KYD 34.7K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

101.43%

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

$43.1K KYD 35.3K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

80.21%

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

$459 KYD 377

$84.2 MX$1,556

445.53%

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

$118 KYD 96.4

$23.99 MX$443

390.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$112 KYD 91.9

$29.02 MX$536

286.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$213 KYD 174

$63.0 MX$1,164

237.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.02 KYD 28.71

$29.14 MX$539

20.18%

Cinema Ticket

$18.78 KYD 15.40

$4.94 MX$91.3

280.16%

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

$1,840 KYD 1,509

$204 MX$3,763

803.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.2K KYD 21.5K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

565.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 KYD 70.4

$43.60 MX$806

96.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.8 KYD 61.3

$43.12 MX$797

73.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 KYD 113

$75.8 MX$1,400

82.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 KYD 121

$88.6 MX$1,637

66.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,943 KYD 2,413

$1,008 MX$18.6K

191.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 KYD 2,042

$374 MX$6,911

565.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,699 KYD 4,674

$1,708 MX$31.6K

233.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,661 KYD 3,822

$1,106 MX$20.4K

321.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,627 KYD 7,074

$3,944 MX$72.9K

118.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,246 KYD 1,842

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-63.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,354 KYD 6,030

$754 MX$13.9K

875.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-30.13%

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

Last update for George Town: October 10, 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

George Town

$2.5K 50.5%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 85% $2.1K

Groceries & Markets

George Town

$721 14.6%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 64.1% $462

Monthly Utilities & Internet

George Town

$689 14%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 80.1% $552

Eating Out

George Town

$457 9.3%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 55.7% $254

Sport & Entertainment

George Town

$250 5.1%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 70.9% $177

Clothing & Footwear

George Town

$201 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 43.7% $88

Getting Around

George Town

$127 2.6%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 58.8% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,943 in George Town and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 875% 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: $115 in George Town vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $721 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇾 George Town

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

14:25 2:25 PM

Same time as George Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,089 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Cayman Islands Dollar KYD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 KYD = 1.22 USD

1 KYD = 1.08 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to KYD – Cayman Islands Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇾 Cayman Islands Dollar ($)

Cayman Islands Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.82 KYD (1 KYD = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 0.922 KYD (1 KYD = 1.08 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to KYD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

George Town Playa del Carmen 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

George Town
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

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

George Town and Playa del Carmen differ by about 308% in total monthly costs ($4,936 vs $1,210 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 875% higher in George Town, 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: $2,943 in George Town versus $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,936 per month in George Town versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 308% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 187% less than in George Town. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,936 in George Town, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in George Town. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Safety-wise, George Town 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 308% less than in George Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.