Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between George Town and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $955 in George Town versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,606 in George Town versus $2,336 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,256 in George Town versus $3,341 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in George Town costs roughly 28% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: George Town 30% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 MYR 13.65

$13.02 MX$221

-74.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.10 MYR 61.0

$46.25 MX$784

-67.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 MYR 18.86

$12.59 MX$213

-62.91%

Cappuccino

$2.64 MYR 10.67

$4.00 MX$67.9

-34.00%

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

$0.72 MYR 2.92

$1.42 MX$24.08

-49.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 MYR 1.42

$0.81 MX$13.73

-56.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.49 MYR 10.07

$3.05 MX$51.7

-18.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MYR 18.09

$6.82 MX$116

-34.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 MYR 7.67

$1.71 MX$29.04

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.20

$2.22 MX$37.62

-53.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.75

$1.72 MX$29.13

-2.91%

Eggs

$2.21 MYR 8.92

$2.71 MX$45.99

-18.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 MYR 53.3

$9.37 MX$159

40.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.50 MYR 18.16

$8.86 MX$150

-49.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.55 MYR 34.54

$12.78 MX$217

-33.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 MYR 9.88

$3.13 MX$53.0

-22.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MYR 5.85

$1.55 MX$26.24

-6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.11

$2.15 MX$36.51

4.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 MYR 4.91

$2.35 MX$39.89

-48.09%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 MYR 3.54

$2.02 MX$34.23

-56.44%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 MYR 3.41

$1.99 MX$33.67

-57.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 MYR 3.09

$1.24 MX$21.09

-37.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.22

$1.19 MX$20.21

-53.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 MYR 18.15

$4.65 MX$78.8

-3.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.91 MYR 76.4

$10.47 MX$177

80.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 MYR 9.68

$1.58 MX$26.82

51.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 MYR 15.25

$2.92 MX$49.48

29.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.90

$0.56 MX$9.53

-16.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.27 MYR 45.52

$29.76 MX$504

-62.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.25 MYR 5.05

$5.32 MX$90.2

-76.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.51 MYR 2.05

$3.72 MX$63.0

-86.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.58 MYR 26.60

$5.78 MX$97.9

13.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$1.55 MX$26.27

-51.61%

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

$42.3K MYR 171.0K

$22.4K MX$379.1K

89.20%

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

$28.8K MYR 116.2K

$25.6K MX$433.3K

12.52%

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

$37.21 MYR 150

$89.3 MX$1,513

-58.32%

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

$8.15 MYR 32.91

$23.30 MX$395

-65.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.31 MYR 118

$31.72 MX$538

-7.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 MYR 166

$68.8 MX$1,165

-40.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.95 MYR 19.98

$29.40 MX$498

-83.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 MYR 19.15

$5.06 MX$85.7

-6.32%

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

$169 MYR 683

$222 MX$3,765

-23.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,038 MYR 20.4K

$4,293 MX$72.7K

17.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 MYR 215

$46.21 MX$783

15.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.35 MYR 143

$44.43 MX$753

-20.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 MYR 301

$95.5 MX$1,618

-21.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 MYR 278

$92.5 MX$1,568

-25.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MYR 2,041

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-52.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 MYR 1,475

$393 MX$6,663

-7.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 MYR 3,749

$1,988 MX$33.7K

-53.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 MYR 4,055

$1,304 MX$22.1K

-23.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,091 MYR 4,407

$747 MX$12.7K

46.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

11.6

-61.81%

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

Last update for George Town: August 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in George Town and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15.00 in George Town vs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $240 vs $277 per month, with George Town 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

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

George Town is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $505 in George Town versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George Town runs roughly 164% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $169 in George Town versus $222 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $955 in George Town versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George Town but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes George Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George Town 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.

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 George Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.