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 $2,048 per month in Gharb vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,056 per month in Gharb vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,063 per month in Gharb vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Gharb costs about 58% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Gharb sits 53% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 €17.09

$11.73 MX$203

69.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.4 €59.8

$41.62 MX$721

66.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 €9.93

$10.64 MX$184

8.46%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.52 MX$61.0

-21.02%

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

$2.61 €2.24

$1.51 MX$26.17

72.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.97 MX$16.87

115.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 €4.24

$2.95 MX$51.1

66.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.13

$4.45 MX$77.2

7.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.38 MX$23.97

-1.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 €1.32

$1.89 MX$32.78

-19.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.57 €3.07

$1.64 MX$28.37

117.68%

Eggs

$3.72 €3.21

$2.51 MX$43.42

48.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 €8.42

$8.34 MX$145

17.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.56 €9.09

$8.34 MX$145

26.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 €11.81

$10.73 MX$186

27.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 €2.88

$2.60 MX$45.12

28.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.46 MX$25.25

41.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 €2.38

$1.90 MX$32.94

45.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 €2.79

$2.08 MX$35.98

55.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.78 MX$30.77

1.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 €2.51

$2.19 MX$37.87

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.04 MX$18.02

79.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.08 MX$18.66

19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.39 €5.50

$4.08 MX$70.7

56.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.34 €5.46

$10.32 MX$179

-38.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.71 MX$29.67

38.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.58 MX$44.63

-30.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 €2.34

$0.51 MX$8.83

433.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.26 MX$56.5

142.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 €1.61

$2.49 MX$43.17

-25.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.16 €30.28

$3.25 MX$56.3

981.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 €1.30

$1.31 MX$22.65

15.27%

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

$26.3K €22.6K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

-13.26%

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

$40.6K €35.0K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

73.32%

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

$168 €145

$82.9 MX$1,436

103.29%

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

$30.19 €25.99

$22.22 MX$385

35.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.71 €28.16

$29.34 MX$508

11.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.2 €54.4

$51.6 MX$895

22.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.70 €19.55

$18.32 MX$317

23.91%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 €12.94

$5.07 MX$87.8

196.25%

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

$266 €229

$201 MX$3,480

32.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$5,212 MX$90.3K

140.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.5

$36.92 MX$640

178.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.27 €32.96

$39.79 MX$689

-3.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 €125

$78.5 MX$1,360

85.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €87.4

$87.1 MX$1,509

16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 €962

$973 MX$16.9K

14.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$939 €809

$468 MX$8,105

100.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,722

$1,641 MX$28.4K

21.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 €1,318

$1,221 MX$21.2K

25.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,471 €3,850

$3,946 MX$68.4K

13.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 €2,513

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-55.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

11.42

-52.45%

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

Last update for Gharb: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,117 in Gharb versus $973 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 $69.0 in Gharb versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $249 – 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 58% 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 $3,072 per month in Gharb and $1,945 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 $2,048 in Gharb and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $266 per month in Gharb and $201 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 $1,297, than in Gharb at $2,048. 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 $1,297 versus $2,048 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.