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: $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,920 in Guatemala City versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,629 in Guatemala City versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Guatemala City costs roughly 4% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guatemala City 9% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 Q 39.90

$11.99 MX$210

-56.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.9 Q 388

$41.78 MX$733

21.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 Q 47.56

$10.75 MX$189

-41.95%

Cappuccino

$3.31 Q 25.21

$3.50 MX$61.3

-5.43%

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

$1.22 Q 9.27

$1.45 MX$25.41

-15.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 Q 7.09

$0.88 MX$15.52

5.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 Q 25.39

$2.95 MX$51.7

12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 Q 34.17

$4.51 MX$79.1

-0.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 Q 15.59

$1.43 MX$25.12

43.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 Q 24.13

$1.84 MX$32.23

72.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 Q 15.63

$1.57 MX$27.51

30.57%

Eggs

$2.54 Q 19.34

$2.51 MX$44.06

1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 Q 59.2

$8.28 MX$145

-6.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 Q 65.5

$8.43 MX$148

1.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.59 Q 88.3

$10.68 MX$187

8.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 Q 27.29

$2.61 MX$45.76

37.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Q 11.58

$1.44 MX$25.22

5.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 Q 24.00

$1.96 MX$34.41

60.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 Q 14.05

$2.09 MX$36.74

-11.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 Q 13.47

$1.85 MX$32.47

-4.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 Q 18.01

$2.17 MX$38.02

8.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 Q 5.61

$1.03 MX$18.09

-28.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 Q 9.31

$1.07 MX$18.84

14.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 Q 27.90

$4.10 MX$72.0

-10.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 Q 61.8

$10.17 MX$178

-20.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 Q 12.15

$1.68 MX$29.38

-5.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 Q 19.25

$2.53 MX$44.31

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.27 Q 9.70

$0.51 MX$8.93

149.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.43 Q 102

$26.04 MX$457

-48.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.19 Q 39.55

$3.23 MX$56.7

60.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 Q 4.55

$2.41 MX$42.19

-75.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.92 Q 121

$3.23 MX$56.6

392.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 Q 8.21

$1.32 MX$23.17

-18.18%

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

$19.6K Q 149.7K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-33.87%

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

$24.8K Q 189.3K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

4.97%

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

$80.4 Q 613

$82.0 MX$1,439

-2.01%

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

$26.23 Q 200

$22.95 MX$403

14.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.76 Q 372

$30.11 MX$528

61.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.46 Q 369

$52.0 MX$912

-6.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.54 Q 187

$18.53 MX$325

32.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.16 Q 54.6

$4.98 MX$87.3

43.78%

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

$249 Q 1,896

$197 MX$3,463

25.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,758 Q 43.9K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

7.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 Q 388

$35.60 MX$624

43.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 Q 407

$40.33 MX$707

32.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 903

$78.8 MX$1,381

50.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 Q 912

$88.9 MX$1,560

34.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 Q 5,467

$947 MX$16.6K

-24.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 Q 3,271

$474 MX$8,314

-9.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 Q 10.5K

$1,644 MX$28.8K

-16.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 Q 5,795

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-37.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 Q 15.4K

$4,056 MX$71.1K

-50.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,093 Q 8,332

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-83.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$862 Q 6,569

$654 MX$11.5K

31.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.9

11.42

-22.07%

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

Last update for Guatemala City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $717 in Guatemala City and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Guatemala City vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $249 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

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% 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: $717 in Guatemala City versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,211 per month in Guatemala City versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,211 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guatemala City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.