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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,910 per month in Glyfada vs $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,070 per month in Glyfada vs $2,158 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,230 per month in Glyfada vs $3,054 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Glyfada costs about 51% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Glyfada sits 42% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.03

$11.61 MX$201

52.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 €51.4

$42.75 MX$742

41.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 €9.02

$10.60 MX$184

Cappuccino

$4.28 €3.64

$3.59 MX$62.3

19.22%

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

$2.34 €1.99

$1.45 MX$25.21

61.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 €0.52

$0.90 MX$15.58

-32.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 €4.92

$3.03 MX$52.6

90.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 €4.82

$4.56 MX$79.2

24.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.45 MX$25.20

32.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 €1.22

$1.83 MX$31.72

-21.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 €2.26

$1.61 MX$27.92

64.60%

Eggs

$5.08 €4.32

$2.54 MX$44.05

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 €13.82

$8.54 MX$148

90.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 €9.44

$8.47 MX$147

30.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 €12.67

$10.86 MX$189

37.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €1.96

$2.73 MX$47.37

-15.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.86

$1.49 MX$25.91

46.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.34

$1.94 MX$33.73

-18.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.89

$2.16 MX$37.57

3.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.16

$1.85 MX$32.05

-26.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 €1.34

$2.19 MX$38.00

-28.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.07 MX$18.62

3.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.89

$1.08 MX$18.81

-2.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.76 €4.91

$4.06 MX$70.5

41.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.73 €9.98

$10.46 MX$182

12.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.82

$1.65 MX$28.71

29.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 €2.73

$2.55 MX$44.23

25.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 €1.19

$0.56 MX$9.65

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.34 €30.07

$26.20 MX$455

34.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 €4.04

$3.14 MX$54.5

50.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.56 €9.84

$3.24 MX$56.2

256.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 €1.79

$1.31 MX$22.81

60.31%

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

$30.3K €25.8K

$30.5K MX$530.2K

-0.86%

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

$26.5K €22.6K

$23.8K MX$413.6K

11.35%

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

$219 €187

$83.1 MX$1,443

163.83%

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

$22.77 €19.38

$22.15 MX$385

2.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 €29.34

$29.37 MX$510

17.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €46.93

$51.2 MX$889

7.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.34 €13.06

$18.69 MX$324

-17.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.98 €8.50

$4.89 MX$84.9

104.09%

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

$420 €357

$199 MX$3,449

111.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K €9,657

$5,207 MX$90.4K

117.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.1 €79.3

$35.93 MX$624

159.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.77 €38.95

$39.39 MX$684

16.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 €83.9

$80.3 MX$1,394

22.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$87.6 MX$1,520

38.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,057 €900

$963 MX$16.7K

9.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 €663

$482 MX$8,370

61.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 €1,997

$1,645 MX$28.6K

42.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 €1,476

$1,192 MX$20.7K

45.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,768 €6,611

$3,957 MX$68.7K

96.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,422 €4,614

$6,513 MX$113.1K

-16.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,277 €1,086

$726 MX$12.6K

75.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

11.42

-56.30%

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

Last update for Glyfada: April 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,057 in Glyfada versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 76% higher in Glyfada, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Glyfada versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $320 vs $253 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

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

Yes – Glyfada is pricier by about 51%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,866 per month in Glyfada and $1,894 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Glyfada, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Glyfada and $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,262, than in Glyfada at $1,910. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Glyfada it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Glyfada makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.