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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,057 in Gizo versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,946 in Gizo versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,834 in Gizo versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gizo is roughly 63% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gizo is 55% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 SBD 24.77

$11.72 MX$203

-73.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 SBD 435

$41.89 MX$725

28.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.73 SBD 119

$10.51 MX$182

40.15%

Cappuccino

$2.63 SBD 21.24

$3.59 MX$62.0

-26.74%

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

$1.18 SBD 9.52

$1.51 MX$26.10

-21.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 SBD 9.94

$0.92 MX$15.83

33.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 SBD 19.29

$2.96 MX$51.2

-19.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 SBD 19.16

$4.41 MX$76.3

-46.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.16 SBD 25.56

$1.40 MX$24.16

125.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 SBD 10.89

$1.88 MX$32.60

-28.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 SBD 11.23

$1.56 MX$26.97

-10.90%

Eggs

$6.63 SBD 53.5

$2.61 MX$45.14

154.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 SBD 68.9

$8.32 MX$144

2.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.14 SBD 49.62

$8.35 MX$145

-26.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.27 SBD 66.8

$10.86 MX$188

-23.85%

Apples (1kg)

$6.78 SBD 54.8

$2.71 MX$46.93

150.18%

Banana (1kg)

$6.14 SBD 49.57

$1.51 MX$26.04

306.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.15 SBD 49.69

$1.87 MX$32.41

228.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 SBD 24.77

$2.19 MX$37.89

40.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 SBD 23.93

$1.86 MX$32.14

59.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 SBD 18.83

$2.23 MX$38.59

4.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 SBD 19.60

$1.07 MX$18.48

127.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 SBD 10.44

$1.09 MX$18.79

18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 SBD 34.83

$4.19 MX$72.4

2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 SBD 99.7

$10.43 MX$180

18.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SBD 14.72

$1.66 MX$28.68

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 SBD 17.71

$2.61 MX$45.19

-16.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 SBD 3.00

$0.54 MX$9.37

-31.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.81 SBD 241

$26.16 MX$453

13.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 SBD 9.44

$3.08 MX$53.3

-62.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.30 SBD 18.57

$2.40 MX$41.61

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.88 SBD 96.0

$3.13 MX$54.1

279.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 SBD 14.19

$1.31 MX$22.69

34.35%

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

$20.2K SBD 162.9K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-32.36%

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

$20.9K SBD 169.2K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-10.18%

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

$712 SBD 5,749

$81.3 MX$1,406

775.49%

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

$13.17 SBD 106

$22.56 MX$390

-41.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$122 SBD 984

$30.05 MX$520

305.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.13 SBD 146

$52.9 MX$915

-65.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.84 SBD 47.21

$18.39 MX$318

-68.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.16 SBD 33.64

$4.92 MX$85.1

-15.45%

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

$121 SBD 980

$201 MX$3,474

-39.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,196 SBD 9,662

$5,175 MX$89.5K

-76.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.52 SBD 198

$35.92 MX$622

-31.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$91.0 SBD 735

$40.13 MX$694

126.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.1 SBD 768

$79.7 MX$1,379

19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 SBD 686

$86.5 MX$1,496

-1.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$582 SBD 4,702

$978 MX$16.9K

-40.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$578 SBD 4,673

$470 MX$8,140

22.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$601 SBD 4,854

$1,651 MX$28.6K

-63.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 SBD 9,637

$1,203 MX$20.8K

-0.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$87.7K SBD 708.3K

$3,953 MX$68.4K

2117.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$391 SBD 3,162

$677 MX$11.7K

-42.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

11.42

42.99%

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

Last update for Gizo: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $582 in Gizo and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Gizo vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $252 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 73% 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: $582 in Gizo versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $54.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,057 in Gizo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gizo 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.