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: $2,175 in Gizo versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,079 in Gizo versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,983 in Gizo versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gizo is roughly 72% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gizo is 59% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.14 SBD 25.09

$11.60 MX$200

-72.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 SBD 441

$47.11 MX$812

17.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.36 SBD 123

$11.88 MX$205

29.29%

Cappuccino

$2.87 SBD 22.94

$3.98 MX$68.6

-27.89%

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

$1.28 SBD 10.25

$1.43 MX$24.60

-10.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 SBD 9.75

$0.82 MX$14.22

48.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 SBD 20.43

$3.19 MX$55.0

-20.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 SBD 19.62

$6.79 MX$117

-63.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.19 SBD 25.54

$1.68 MX$28.89

89.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 SBD 10.69

$2.20 MX$37.88

-39.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 SBD 11.41

$1.71 MX$29.45

-16.37%

Eggs

$7.24 SBD 57.9

$2.74 MX$47.26

164.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 SBD 68.8

$9.58 MX$165

-10.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 SBD 51.0

$9.01 MX$155

-29.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.73 SBD 69.9

$12.81 MX$221

-31.85%

Apples (1kg)

$6.78 SBD 54.2

$2.89 MX$49.81

134.60%

Banana (1kg)

$6.38 SBD 51.0

$1.50 MX$25.81

325.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.38 SBD 51.0

$2.15 MX$37.03

196.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 SBD 24.31

$2.26 MX$38.96

34.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.10 SBD 24.81

$1.98 MX$34.15

56.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 SBD 20.31

$1.99 MX$34.30

27.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 SBD 19.52

$1.23 MX$21.28

98.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 SBD 10.69

$1.20 MX$20.63

11.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 SBD 34.37

$4.55 MX$78.5

-5.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 SBD 102

$10.37 MX$179

22.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 SBD 15.14

$1.62 MX$27.91

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 SBD 17.89

$2.88 MX$49.67

-22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 SBD 2.87

$0.60 MX$10.35

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.21 SBD 250

$28.80 MX$497

8.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 SBD 10.10

$5.39 MX$92.9

-76.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.45 SBD 19.63

$3.73 MX$64.3

-34.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.58 SBD 101

$5.77 MX$99.5

118.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 SBD 14.39

$1.54 MX$26.48

16.88%

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

$20.6K SBD 164.6K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

-8.75%

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

$22.3K SBD 178.0K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

-14.58%

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

$754 SBD 6,033

$91.4 MX$1,576

725.47%

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

$13.49 SBD 108

$25.20 MX$435

-46.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$123 SBD 987

$31.24 MX$539

295.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.99 SBD 152

$67.2 MX$1,159

-71.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.07 SBD 48.55

$29.11 MX$502

-79.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.34 SBD 34.68

$4.86 MX$83.8

-10.70%

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

$126 SBD 1,011

$224 MX$3,856

-43.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,272 SBD 10.2K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

-69.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.26 SBD 202

$47.10 MX$812

-46.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.0 SBD 744

$44.29 MX$764

110.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 SBD 799

$80.1 MX$1,381

24.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 SBD 709

$92.7 MX$1,598

-4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 SBD 4,795

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-43.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$601 SBD 4,805

$390 MX$6,728

53.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 SBD 5,005

$2,149 MX$37.1K

-70.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 SBD 9,953

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-2.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$87.3K SBD 698.3K

$4,001 MX$69.0K

2082.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$400 SBD 3,199

$758 MX$13.1K

-47.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.33

11.45

42.62%

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

Last update for Gizo: September 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Gizo and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Gizo vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $276 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 72% 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 90% 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: $600 in Gizo versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% 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 $47.00 versus $55.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,175 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 $1,266 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 72% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.