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: $828 in George Town versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,304 in George Town versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,781 in George Town versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in George Town costs roughly 35% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: George Town 38% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.13 MYR 12.71

$11.87 MX$204

-73.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.31 MYR 86.4

$42.90 MX$736

-50.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.14 MYR 16.80

$10.65 MX$183

-61.13%

Cappuccino

$2.58 MYR 10.46

$3.45 MX$59.2

-25.22%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.14

$1.50 MX$25.81

-48.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.36

$0.95 MX$16.28

-65.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.26 MYR 17.26

$3.03 MX$51.9

40.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 MYR 19.42

$4.61 MX$79.1

3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.50

$1.38 MX$23.61

34.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.54

$1.85 MX$31.70

-39.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.85

$1.61 MX$27.65

4.97%

Eggs

$2.05 MYR 8.32

$2.59 MX$44.51

-20.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.52 MYR 71.0

$8.26 MX$142

112.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.95 MYR 20.07

$8.37 MX$144

-40.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MYR 43.24

$10.66 MX$183

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 MYR 11.44

$2.63 MX$45.12

7.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.82

$1.49 MX$25.53

-4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 MYR 8.87

$1.92 MX$32.94

14.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 MYR 5.12

$2.09 MX$35.81

-39.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 MYR 3.59

$1.86 MX$31.88

-52.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 MYR 4.91

$2.26 MX$38.81

-46.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 MYR 2.78

$1.06 MX$18.23

-34.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.25

$1.09 MX$18.67

-49.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 MYR 16.28

$4.15 MX$71.2

-3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.54 MYR 50.9

$10.39 MX$178

20.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 MYR 10.68

$1.72 MX$29.59

52.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 MYR 13.72

$2.61 MX$44.85

29.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 MYR 1.97

$0.54 MX$9.30

-9.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.56 MYR 46.89

$26.94 MX$462

-57.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 MYR 4.72

$3.13 MX$53.7

-62.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 MYR 1.78

$2.51 MX$43.09

-82.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 MYR 26.80

$3.15 MX$54.1

109.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.47 MYR 1.89

$1.27 MX$21.88

-62.99%

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

$33.2K MYR 134.6K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

9.25%

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

$24.7K MYR 100.2K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

4.88%

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

$38.53 MYR 156

$83.0 MX$1,425

-53.58%

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

$9.93 MYR 40.25

$22.71 MX$390

-56.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.52 MYR 120

$29.46 MX$506

0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.84 MYR 157

$51.0 MX$875

-23.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.66 MYR 14.85

$18.33 MX$315

-80.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.06 MYR 16.45

$4.93 MX$84.5

-17.65%

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

$150 MYR 607

$197 MX$3,386

-24.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,580 MYR 18.6K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-13.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 MYR 206

$36.90 MX$633

37.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.05 MYR 118

$39.89 MX$685

-27.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.5 MYR 245

$80.0 MX$1,373

-24.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.4 MYR 213

$89.5 MX$1,536

-41.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 MYR 1,501

$956 MX$16.4K

-61.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 MYR 1,051

$477 MX$8,189

-45.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 MYR 2,887

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-56.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 MYR 2,018

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-59.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,085 MYR 4,400

$667 MX$11.4K

62.70%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in George Town and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 63% 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. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $250, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

George Town pays 63% 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: $370 in George Town 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 George Town runs roughly 133% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $150 in George Town versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $828 in George Town versus $1,271 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 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.