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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,151 per month in Gharb vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,225 per month in Gharb vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,299 per month in Gharb vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Gharb costs about 70% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Gharb sits 57% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.20 €20.21

$11.60 MX$199

100.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.3 €81.2

$47.11 MX$809

97.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.04 €12.23

$11.88 MX$204

18.18%

Cappuccino

$3.22 €2.81

$3.98 MX$68.2

-19.10%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.43 MX$24.49

74.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.82 MX$14.16

140.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 €5.13

$3.19 MX$54.7

84.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.95 €6.06

$6.79 MX$117

2.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.68 MX$28.76

-19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 €1.31

$2.20 MX$37.71

-31.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 €3.05

$1.71 MX$29.32

104.68%

Eggs

$4.58 €3.99

$2.74 MX$47.05

67.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.77 €9.38

$9.58 MX$164

12.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.62 €10.99

$9.01 MX$155

40.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 €16.19

$12.81 MX$220

45.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 €3.31

$2.89 MX$49.58

31.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.77 €2.41

$1.50 MX$25.70

84.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 €3.44

$2.15 MX$36.87

83.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.94 €3.43

$2.26 MX$38.79

74.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.72

$1.98 MX$34.00

Onion (1kg)

$3.44 €3.00

$1.99 MX$34.15

72.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 €1.96

$1.23 MX$21.18

82.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.20 MX$20.54

31.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.64 €5.79

$4.55 MX$78.1

45.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.07 €5.29

$10.37 MX$178

-41.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.18

$1.62 MX$27.79

54.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.15

$2.88 MX$49.44

-14.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 €2.17

$0.60 MX$10.30

315.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 €3.57

$5.39 MX$92.5

-23.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.64

$3.73 MX$64.0

-49.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.33 €29.03

$5.77 MX$99.0

477.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.32

$1.54 MX$26.37

-1.30%

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

$29.1K €25.3K

$22.5K MX$387.0K

28.99%

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

$39.8K €34.7K

$26.1K MX$447.3K

52.88%

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

$159 €139

$91.4 MX$1,569

74.41%

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

$32.71 €28.49

$25.20 MX$433

29.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.30 €26.40

$31.24 MX$536

-3.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.5 €57.1

$67.2 MX$1,154

-2.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 €10.27

$4.86 MX$83.5

142.59%

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

$289 €252

$224 MX$3,839

29.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K €11.0K

$4,229 MX$72.6K

198.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 €66.4

$47.10 MX$808

61.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.3 €55.1

$44.29 MX$760

42.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €99.7

$80.1 MX$1,375

42.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €116

$92.7 MX$1,591

43.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 €913

$1,063 MX$18.2K

-1.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$997 €868

$390 MX$6,698

155.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 €1,597

$2,149 MX$36.9K

-14.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 €1,524

$1,272 MX$21.8K

37.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,886 €3,385

$4,001 MX$68.7K

-2.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,086 €2,689

$6,502 MX$111.6K

-52.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

11.45

-64.63%

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

Last update for Gharb: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,048 in Gharb versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $93.0 in Gharb versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $276 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Gharb costs about 70% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,227 per month in Gharb and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,151 in Gharb and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $289 per month in Gharb and $224 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in Gharb at $2,151. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gharb it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,266 versus $2,151 in Gharb. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gharb makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.