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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,818 per month in Girona vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,681 per month in Girona vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,544 per month in Girona vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Girona costs about 43% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Girona sits 35% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.92 €14.58

$11.87 MX$204

42.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.7

$42.90 MX$736

58.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.09 €7.83

$10.65 MX$183

-14.65%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.87

$3.45 MX$59.2

-37.10%

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

$1.76 €1.52

$1.50 MX$25.81

17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.42

$0.95 MX$16.28

72.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 €2.94

$3.03 MX$51.9

12.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 €3.92

$4.61 MX$79.1

-1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.38 MX$23.61

-7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.85 MX$31.70

-27.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.61 MX$27.65

-0.62%

Eggs

$2.95 €2.54

$2.59 MX$44.51

13.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.62 €9.15

$8.26 MX$142

28.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 €7.94

$8.37 MX$144

10.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.75 €7.54

$10.66 MX$183

-17.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 €2.08

$2.63 MX$45.12

-7.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.84

$1.49 MX$25.53

43.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.92 MX$32.94

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.92 €2.52

$2.09 MX$35.81

39.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.86 MX$31.88

-22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.26 MX$38.81

-36.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 €0.88

$1.06 MX$18.23

-2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.62

$1.09 MX$18.67

-33.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.20 €5.34

$4.15 MX$71.2

49.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.61 €6.56

$10.39 MX$178

-26.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.11

$1.72 MX$29.59

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.77

$2.61 MX$44.85

-21.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.54 MX$9.30

214.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.11 €33.69

$26.94 MX$462

45.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.13 MX$53.7

-26.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.51 MX$43.09

-17.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.66 €19.53

$3.15 MX$54.1

619.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.27 MX$21.88

37.80%

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

$37.9K €32.7K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

24.79%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

38.74%

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

$121 €104

$83.0 MX$1,425

45.82%

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

$20.42 €17.59

$22.71 MX$390

-10.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.79 €32.56

$29.46 MX$506

28.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.5 €47.84

$51.0 MX$875

8.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 €16.12

$18.33 MX$315

2.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.91 €9.40

$4.93 MX$84.5

121.30%

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

$323 €278

$197 MX$3,386

63.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,781 €8,427

$5,280 MX$90.6K

85.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 €78.5

$36.90 MX$633

146.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.74 €28.21

$39.89 MX$685

-17.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 €78.2

$80.0 MX$1,373

13.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €114

$89.5 MX$1,536

47.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 €1,133

$956 MX$16.4K

37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 €751

$477 MX$8,189

82.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 €1,857

$1,646 MX$28.3K

30.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 €1,204

$1,225 MX$21.0K

14.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,365 €4,623

$3,918 MX$67.2K

36.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,243 €2,794

$6,459 MX$110.9K

-49.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,857 €1,600

$667 MX$11.4K

178.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

11.42

-68.65%

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

Last update for Girona: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,315 in Girona versus $956 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.

Salaries run about 178% higher in Girona, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Girona versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $242 in Girona vs $250 in Playa del Carmen – so Girona wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Girona costs about 43% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,727 per month in Girona and $1,906 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Girona – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Girona and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,271, than in Girona at $1,818. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Girona it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,271 versus $1,818 in Girona. 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, Girona makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.