Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Guatemala City versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,024 in Guatemala City versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,696 in Guatemala City versus $3,374 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Guatemala City is roughly 5% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guatemala City 2% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.99 Q 53.3

$11.71 MX$198

-40.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.28 Q 376

$46.59 MX$788

5.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.68 Q 58.6

$11.65 MX$197

-34.08%

Cappuccino

$3.41 Q 26.04

$4.09 MX$69.2

-16.63%

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

$1.12 Q 8.52

$1.37 MX$23.23

-18.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 Q 6.78

$0.83 MX$14.09

7.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 Q 24.50

$3.35 MX$56.7

-4.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 Q 36.59

$6.91 MX$117

-30.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.09 Q 15.93

$1.73 MX$29.20

20.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 Q 22.06

$2.26 MX$38.21

27.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 Q 15.47

$1.77 MX$29.91

14.69%

Eggs

$2.47 Q 18.81

$2.73 MX$46.19

-9.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.49 Q 49.52

$9.18 MX$155

-29.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 Q 71.1

$8.92 MX$151

4.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 Q 102

$12.60 MX$213

5.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 Q 29.02

$3.02 MX$51.1

25.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 Q 13.15

$1.57 MX$26.55

9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 Q 22.17

$2.13 MX$35.93

36.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 Q 12.56

$2.26 MX$38.28

-26.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.48 Q 11.31

$2.00 MX$33.88

-26.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 Q 16.57

$2.06 MX$34.90

5.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 Q 5.24

$1.18 MX$19.94

-41.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 Q 9.21

$1.20 MX$20.35

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 Q 30.58

$4.63 MX$78.4

-13.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 Q 61.7

$10.69 MX$181

-24.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 Q 13.76

$1.62 MX$27.38

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 Q 19.68

$2.88 MX$48.70

-10.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Q 9.77

$0.57 MX$9.69

124.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.99 Q 107

$29.83 MX$504

-53.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.18 Q 39.51

$5.45 MX$92.1

-4.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.43 Q 79.6

$5.98 MX$101

74.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 Q 9.80

$1.55 MX$26.26

-17.42%

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

$27.9K Q 212.9K

$22.3K MX$377.4K

25.02%

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

$25.7K Q 196.3K

$25.9K MX$438.7K

-0.86%

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

$76.4 Q 583

$89.1 MX$1,507

-14.24%

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

$29.08 Q 222

$25.04 MX$423

16.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.55 Q 347

$31.50 MX$532

44.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.86 Q 304

$67.8 MX$1,146

-41.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.08 Q 99.8

$28.92 MX$489

-54.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 Q 48.68

$5.05 MX$85.4

26.34%

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

$344 Q 2,621

$225 MX$3,803

52.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,719 Q 51.3K

$4,222 MX$71.4K

59.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.73 Q 364

$47.44 MX$802

0.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.86 Q 365

$44.98 MX$760

6.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Q 822

$82.0 MX$1,386

31.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Q 850

$92.1 MX$1,557

20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 Q 6,316

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-22.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$546 Q 4,163

$405 MX$6,852

34.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 Q 11.9K

$1,935 MX$32.7K

-19.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 Q 6,249

$1,301 MX$22.0K

-37.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,043 Q 15.6K

$3,995 MX$67.5K

-48.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,103 Q 8,416

$6,626 MX$112.0K

-83.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$843 Q 6,427

$749 MX$12.7K

12.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.62

11.45

1.48%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: August 30, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Guatemala City and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 13% 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: $49.00 in Guatemala City vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $277 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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Guatemala City. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Guatemala City, 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: $828 in Guatemala City versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $49.00 in Guatemala City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,353 per month in Guatemala City versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,353 in Guatemala City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Guatemala City. 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 $1,293 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Guatemala City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.