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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,281 in Gladstone versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,177 in Gladstone versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,073 in Gladstone versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gladstone is roughly 81% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gladstone is 70% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.15 A$22.61

$11.67 MX$202

38.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 A$109

$41.88 MX$726

86.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 A$13.51

$10.40 MX$180

-7.21%

Cappuccino

$3.37 A$4.71

$3.61 MX$62.6

-6.65%

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

$2.49 A$3.49

$1.47 MX$25.45

69.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 A$2.93

$0.91 MX$15.80

129.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 A$9.36

$3.03 MX$52.6

120.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.72

$4.47 MX$77.4

55.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.09

$1.38 MX$23.83

7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 A$3.31

$1.84 MX$31.93

28.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 A$2.73

$1.61 MX$27.82

21.12%

Eggs

$4.28 A$6.00

$2.57 MX$44.52

66.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 A$12.12

$8.49 MX$147

2.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 A$12.07

$8.49 MX$147

1.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 A$19.18

$10.99 MX$190

24.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.61

$2.73 MX$47.25

20.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.84

$1.50 MX$25.92

82.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 A$4.07

$1.96 MX$33.93

48.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 A$5.63

$2.12 MX$36.70

89.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.54

$1.86 MX$32.30

36.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 A$2.98

$2.17 MX$37.67

-1.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 A$2.92

$1.07 MX$18.59

94.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 A$2.13

$1.05 MX$18.18

44.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.21 A$43.69

$4.19 MX$72.6

644.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 A$20.00

$10.28 MX$178

39.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.53 A$6.34

$1.67 MX$28.87

171.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 A$7.61

$2.49 MX$43.12

118.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 A$3.57

$0.54 MX$9.37

372.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 A$91.9

$26.27 MX$455

149.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 A$5.05

$3.10 MX$53.8

16.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 A$2.25

$2.46 MX$42.66

-34.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.03 A$47.65

$3.24 MX$56.1

950.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.65

$1.26 MX$21.83

-6.35%

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

$29.3K A$41.0K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

-2.89%

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

$22.3K A$31.2K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

-4.93%

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

$183 A$256

$84.0 MX$1,456

117.50%

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

$25.86 A$36.20

$22.21 MX$385

16.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 A$71.9

$29.65 MX$514

73.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.07 A$67.3

$52.6 MX$912

-8.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.74 A$22.04

$18.34 MX$318

-14.18%

Cinema Ticket

$12.65 A$17.71

$4.95 MX$85.7

155.56%

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

$1,620 A$2,268

$198 MX$3,438

716.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.6K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

123.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.4 A$94.3

$35.95 MX$623

87.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$70.6

$40.06 MX$694

25.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 A$138

$78.8 MX$1,365

25.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$153

$86.5 MX$1,499

26.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 A$1,788

$977 MX$16.9K

30.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,061 A$1,486

$471 MX$8,158

125.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 A$1,741

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-22.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 A$1,949

$1,215 MX$21.1K

14.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,586 A$7,820

$4,032 MX$69.9K

38.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,830 A$8,162

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-11.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,669 A$7,937

$714 MX$12.4K

693.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.42

-44.48%

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

Last update for Gladstone: April 20, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,277 in Gladstone and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gladstone pays 694% 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: $78 in Gladstone vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Gladstone. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Gladstone pays 694% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,277 in Gladstone versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,281 per month in Gladstone versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 150% less than in Gladstone. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,281 in Gladstone, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gladstone. 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 $1,261 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Gladstone 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 81% less than in Gladstone. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.