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: $2,076 in Gizo versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,981 in Gizo versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,885 in Gizo versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Gizo is 54% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 SBD 23.77

$11.87 MX$204

-75.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 SBD 432

$42.90 MX$736

25.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.75 SBD 119

$10.65 MX$183

38.50%

Cappuccino

$2.67 SBD 21.44

$3.45 MX$59.2

-22.61%

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

$1.22 SBD 9.82

$1.50 MX$25.81

-18.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 SBD 9.37

$0.95 MX$16.28

23.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 SBD 18.92

$3.03 MX$51.9

-22.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 SBD 19.69

$4.61 MX$79.1

-46.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.03 SBD 24.38

$1.38 MX$23.61

119.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 SBD 10.71

$1.85 MX$31.70

-28.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 SBD 10.81

$1.61 MX$27.65

-16.77%

Eggs

$7.01 SBD 56.4

$2.59 MX$44.51

170.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 SBD 68.4

$8.26 MX$142

2.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.01 SBD 48.31

$8.37 MX$144

-28.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.35 SBD 67.2

$10.66 MX$183

-21.67%

Apples (1kg)

$6.62 SBD 53.3

$2.63 MX$45.12

151.71%

Banana (1kg)

$5.87 SBD 47.20

$1.49 MX$25.53

293.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.84 SBD 46.95

$1.92 MX$32.94

204.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 SBD 24.58

$2.09 MX$35.81

46.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 SBD 23.41

$1.86 MX$31.88

56.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 SBD 19.48

$2.26 MX$38.81

7.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 SBD 19.53

$1.06 MX$18.23

129.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 SBD 10.53

$1.09 MX$18.67

20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.31 SBD 34.70

$4.15 MX$71.2

3.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 SBD 101

$10.39 MX$178

21.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 SBD 14.65

$1.72 MX$29.59

5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SBD 16.93

$2.61 MX$44.85

-19.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 SBD 2.99

$0.54 MX$9.30

-31.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.69 SBD 239

$26.94 MX$462

10.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 SBD 9.93

$3.13 MX$53.7

-60.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.32 SBD 18.63

$2.51 MX$43.09

-7.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 SBD 94.6

$3.15 MX$54.1

273.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 SBD 14.41

$1.27 MX$21.88

40.94%

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

$19.9K SBD 159.8K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

-34.58%

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

$20.6K SBD 166.0K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

-12.43%

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

$708 SBD 5,697

$83.0 MX$1,425

753.39%

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

$12.92 SBD 104

$22.71 MX$390

-43.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$118 SBD 948

$29.46 MX$506

300.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.91 SBD 144

$51.0 MX$875

-64.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.06 SBD 48.78

$18.33 MX$315

-66.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 SBD 34.49

$4.93 MX$84.5

-12.98%

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

$119 SBD 955

$197 MX$3,386

-39.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,205 SBD 9,690

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-77.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.09 SBD 194

$36.90 MX$633

-34.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.1 SBD 725

$39.89 MX$685

125.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 SBD 778

$80.0 MX$1,373

20.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.7 SBD 681

$89.5 MX$1,536

-5.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 SBD 4,579

$956 MX$16.4K

-40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 SBD 4,610

$477 MX$8,189

20.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 SBD 4,846

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-63.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,182 SBD 9,510

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-3.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$86.2K SBD 693.4K

$3,918 MX$67.2K

2100.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$389 SBD 3,127

$667 MX$11.4K

-41.71%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $569 in Gizo and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 72% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $250 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, Playa del Carmen earns 72% less. 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: $569 in Gizo versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% 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 $43.00 versus $54.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,076 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 $1,271 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.