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: $843 in George Town versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,306 in George Town versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,769 in George Town versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in George Town costs roughly 34% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: George Town 37% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.02 MYR 11.93

$11.94 MX$208

-74.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.35 MYR 84.3

$42.75 MX$744

-50.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.27 MYR 16.86

$10.59 MX$184

-59.68%

Cappuccino

$2.62 MYR 10.35

$3.62 MX$63.0

-27.62%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.03

$1.47 MX$25.54

-47.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.44

$0.94 MX$16.41

-61.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 MYR 17.20

$3.09 MX$53.8

41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MYR 18.49

$4.46 MX$77.6

4.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 MYR 7.21

$1.43 MX$24.80

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.43

$1.88 MX$32.79

-40.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MYR 6.60

$1.63 MX$28.34

2.45%

Eggs

$2.10 MYR 8.31

$2.64 MX$45.99

-20.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.50 MYR 69.1

$8.21 MX$143

113.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 MYR 19.65

$8.29 MX$144

-40.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.47 MYR 41.35

$11.10 MX$193

-5.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MYR 11.30

$2.65 MX$46.14

7.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MYR 5.53

$1.50 MX$26.11

-6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 8.90

$1.99 MX$34.59

13.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.04

$2.08 MX$36.13

-38.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.87 MYR 3.44

$1.79 MX$31.11

-51.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.57

$2.18 MX$37.87

-46.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MYR 2.76

$1.08 MX$18.73

-35.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.04

$1.04 MX$18.04

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.18 MYR 16.51

$3.97 MX$69.1

5.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.70 MYR 50.2

$10.20 MX$178

24.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 MYR 10.45

$1.73 MX$30.04

52.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 MYR 13.29

$2.50 MX$43.46

34.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MYR 1.93

$0.52 MX$9.02

-5.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.80 MYR 46.62

$26.97 MX$469

-56.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MYR 4.59

$3.14 MX$54.7

-63.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 MYR 1.73

$2.40 MX$41.80

-81.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 MYR 25.26

$3.09 MX$53.7

106.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.49 MYR 1.94

$1.27 MX$22.16

-61.42%

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

$34.1K MYR 134.6K

$30.9K MX$537.3K

10.31%

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

$25.0K MYR 98.7K

$23.3K MX$405.7K

7.19%

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

$38.18 MYR 151

$82.0 MX$1,427

-53.44%

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

$9.68 MYR 38.23

$22.45 MX$391

-56.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.98 MYR 114

$29.66 MX$516

-2.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.37 MYR 152

$51.9 MX$903

-26.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.78 MYR 14.94

$18.67 MX$325

-79.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 MYR 16.30

$4.97 MX$86.5

-16.90%

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

$146 MYR 578

$198 MX$3,442

-26.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,643 MYR 18.3K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-11.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 MYR 207

$36.34 MX$632

44.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.61 MYR 113

$40.05 MX$697

-28.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 MYR 247

$79.9 MX$1,390

-21.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.1 MYR 206

$88.9 MX$1,547

-41.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 MYR 1,465

$963 MX$16.8K

-61.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$253 MYR 999

$465 MX$8,086

-45.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 MYR 2,799

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-55.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 MYR 1,969

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-58.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,112 MYR 4,393

$720 MX$12.5K

54.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.16

11.42

-63.57%

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

Last update for George Town: April 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $371 in George Town and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in George Town vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $251 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, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

George Town pays 54% 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: $371 in George Town versus $963 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 129% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $146 in George Town versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $843 in George Town versus $1,287 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 53% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.