Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guatemala City and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,210 a month against $1,346 in Guatemala City, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Guatemala City outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Guatemala City

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,346

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guatemala City and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guatemala City and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,346 in Guatemala City versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen.

Guatemala City $1,346
Playa del Carmen $1,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,023 in Guatemala City versus $2,113 in Playa del Carmen.

Guatemala City $2,023
Playa del Carmen $2,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,701 in Guatemala City versus $3,016 in Playa del Carmen.

Guatemala City $2,701
Playa del Carmen $3,016

Living in Guatemala City is roughly 11% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guatemala City is 0% above, Playa del Carmen is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.83 Q 52.2

$10.76 MX$199

-36.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 Q 385

$43.03 MX$795

16.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.83 Q 59.9

$11.79 MX$218

-33.59%

Cappuccino

$3.43 Q 26.24

$3.87 MX$71.4

-11.37%

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

$1.15 Q 8.79

$1.37 MX$25.29

-16.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 Q 7.48

$0.84 MX$15.44

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 Q 24.28

$3.10 MX$57.3

2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 Q 35.76

$5.07 MX$93.6

-7.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 Q 15.52

$1.44 MX$26.55

40.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 Q 23.06

$2.23 MX$41.23

35.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.09 Q 16.00

$1.47 MX$27.17

42.18%

Eggs

$2.50 Q 19.09

$2.53 MX$46.71

-1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 Q 48.71

$7.30 MX$135

-12.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.16 Q 70.0

$7.86 MX$145

16.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 Q 100.0

$12.79 MX$236

2.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 Q 30.46

$2.90 MX$53.6

37.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 Q 13.19

$1.44 MX$26.53

19.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 Q 21.97

$2.55 MX$47.07

12.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 Q 12.56

$2.06 MX$38.03

-20.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 Q 11.21

$2.00 MX$36.97

-26.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 Q 16.47

$2.01 MX$37.07

6.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 Q 5.23

$1.19 MX$22.02

-42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 Q 9.14

$1.26 MX$23.23

-4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 Q 31.83

$4.40 MX$81.4

-5.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 Q 61.0

$9.59 MX$177

-16.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 Q 13.32

$1.59 MX$29.41

9.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 Q 20.45

$2.81 MX$51.9

-4.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 Q 9.79

$0.57 MX$10.47

124.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.30 Q 109

$27.82 MX$514

-48.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.11 Q 39.07

$4.98 MX$92.1

2.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.27 Q 78.6

$5.40 MX$99.8

90.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 Q 10.64

$1.47 MX$27.08

-5.44%

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

$27.8K Q 212.7K

$21.0K MX$387.8K

32.58%

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

$25.5K Q 194.9K

$23.9K MX$441.8K

6.64%

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

$71.7 Q 548

$84.2 MX$1,556

-14.87%

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

$29.01 Q 222

$23.99 MX$443

20.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.39 Q 355

$29.02 MX$536

59.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.85 Q 305

$63.0 MX$1,164

-36.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.94 Q 99.0

$29.14 MX$539

-55.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 Q 49.85

$4.94 MX$91.3

31.98%

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

$336 Q 2,565

$204 MX$3,763

64.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,630 Q 50.7K

$3,941 MX$72.8K

68.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.45 Q 378

$43.60 MX$806

13.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 Q 366

$43.12 MX$797

11.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 Q 913

$75.8 MX$1,400

57.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 Q 875

$88.6 MX$1,637

29.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 Q 6,329

$1,008 MX$18.6K

-17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 Q 4,130

$374 MX$6,911

44.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 Q 11.6K

$1,708 MX$31.6K

-10.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$821 Q 6,273

$1,106 MX$20.4K

-25.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,017 Q 15.4K

$3,944 MX$72.9K

-48.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,072 Q 8,196

$6,169 MX$114.0K

-82.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 Q 6,602

$754 MX$13.9K

14.49%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Guatemala City

$540 40.2%

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9% 30.8% $166

Groceries & Markets

Guatemala City

$279 20.7%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4% 7.3% $20

Eating Out

Guatemala City

$153 11.4%

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7% 32.2% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Guatemala City

$149 11.1%

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3% 24.2% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guatemala City

$147 10.9%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3% 6.7% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Guatemala City

$53 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$73 6% 37.8% $20

Getting Around

Guatemala City

$25 * 1.8%

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3% 114% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Guatemala City and $1,008 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 14% 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: $50.0 in Guatemala City vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $258 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇹 Guatemala City

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

07:34 7:34 AM

1 h ahead of Guatemala City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,450,212 Capital

149,923

💱 Currency

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to GTQ – Guatemalan Quetzal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to GTQ in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Guatemala City Playa del Carmen 760 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Guatemala City
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 11% 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 14% 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 $1,008 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 $43.00 versus $50.0 in Guatemala City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,346 per month in Guatemala City versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,346 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 $1,210 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 11% less than in Guatemala City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.