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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $478 in Giza versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $750 in Giza versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,021 in Giza versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Giza costs roughly 62% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Giza 64% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.93 E£201

$11.99 MX$210

-67.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.03 E£819

$41.78 MX$733

-61.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.90 E£250

$10.75 MX$189

-54.42%

Cappuccino

$1.44 E£73.3

$3.50 MX$61.3

-58.86%

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

$0.34 E£17.21

$1.45 MX$25.41

-76.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 E£7.13

$0.88 MX$15.52

-84.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 E£63.5

$2.95 MX$51.7

-57.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 E£102

$4.51 MX$79.1

-55.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 E£47.48

$1.43 MX$25.12

-34.97%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 E£30.23

$1.84 MX$32.23

-67.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.70 E£35.56

$1.57 MX$27.51

-55.41%

Eggs

$1.49 E£75.9

$2.51 MX$44.06

-40.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.30 E£168

$8.28 MX$145

-60.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 E£215

$8.43 MX$148

-50.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 E£433

$10.68 MX$187

-20.60%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 E£72.5

$2.61 MX$45.76

-45.59%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 E£30.27

$1.44 MX$25.22

-59.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.42 E£21.63

$1.96 MX$34.41

-78.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.36 E£18.55

$2.09 MX$36.74

-82.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.47 E£23.93

$1.85 MX$32.47

-74.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.44 E£22.43

$2.17 MX$38.02

-79.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.22 E£11.18

$1.03 MX$18.09

-78.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 E£10.08

$1.07 MX$18.84

-81.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 E£100

$4.10 MX$72.0

-52.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.54 E£232

$10.17 MX$178

-55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 E£71.2

$1.68 MX$29.38

-17.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 E£88.2

$2.53 MX$44.31

-31.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 E£15.93

$0.51 MX$8.93

-39.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.98 E£101

$26.04 MX$457

-92.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 E£19.62

$3.23 MX$56.7

-88.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 E£12.86

$2.41 MX$42.19

-89.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 E£102

$3.23 MX$56.6

-38.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.31 E£15.68

$1.32 MX$23.17

-76.52%

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

$35.7K E£1.8M

$29.7K MX$520.9K

20.05%

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

$33.4K E£1.7M

$23.7K MX$415.0K

41.17%

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

$19.09 E£975

$82.0 MX$1,439

-76.72%

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

$7.36 E£376

$22.95 MX$403

-67.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.39 E£633

$30.11 MX$528

-58.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.25 E£881

$52.0 MX$912

-66.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.36 E£376

$18.53 MX$325

-60.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.51 E£179

$4.98 MX$87.3

-29.52%

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

$92.1 E£4,701

$197 MX$3,463

-53.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,952 E£99.7K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

-63.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.51 E£1,405

$35.60 MX$624

-22.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.88 E£2,496

$40.33 MX$707

21.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 E£5,400

$78.8 MX$1,381

34.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.5 E£2,631

$88.9 MX$1,560

-42.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$198 E£10.1K

$947 MX$16.6K

-79.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$113 E£5,760

$474 MX$8,314

-76.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 E£21.1K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-74.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 E£8,976

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-85.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$819 E£41.8K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-79.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,261 E£64.4K

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-80.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$131 E£6,697

$654 MX$11.5K

-79.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

48.86%

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

Last update for Giza: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $198 in Giza and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 399% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Giza vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $120 vs $249 per month, with Giza 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

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

Giza is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 399% lower in Playa del Carmen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $198 in Giza versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Giza runs roughly 1215% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $92.1 in Giza versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $478 in Giza versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Giza but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Giza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Giza 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, Giza 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 Giza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.