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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,124 in Guayama versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,443 in Guayama versus $2,126 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,761 in Guayama versus $2,980 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Guayama is roughly 67% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guayama is 58% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.08 $19.08

$11.87 MX$204

60.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$42.90 MX$736

86.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.76 $9.76

$10.65 MX$183

-8.36%

Cappuccino

$3.61 $3.61

$3.45 MX$59.2

4.64%

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

$1.76 $1.76

$1.50 MX$25.81

17.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.95 MX$16.28

45.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.03 MX$51.9

-1.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.61 MX$79.1

-0.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.38 MX$23.61

41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.85 MX$31.70

49.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.61 MX$27.65

36.02%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$2.59 MX$44.51

50.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 $8.79

$8.26 MX$142

6.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$8.37 MX$144

4.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.26 $8.26

$10.66 MX$183

-22.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.63 MX$45.12

-17.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.49 MX$25.53

17.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.92 MX$32.94

15.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.09 MX$35.81

99.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.86 MX$31.88

13.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.26 MX$38.81

28.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.06 MX$18.23

193.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.09 MX$18.67

80.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$4.15 MX$71.2

185.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.81 $15.81

$10.39 MX$178

52.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.72 MX$29.59

43.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.61 MX$44.85

24.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.51 MX$43.09

-62.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.70 $14.70

$3.15 MX$54.1

366.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.27 MX$21.88

-22.83%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$30.4K MX$521.3K

18.92%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$23.6K MX$404.5K

10.76%

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

$485 $485

$83.0 MX$1,425

484.86%

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

$80.6 $80.6

$22.71 MX$390

254.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$29.46 MX$506

149.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.49 $33.49

$51.0 MX$875

-34.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$4.93 MX$84.5

145.84%

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

$461 $461

$197 MX$3,386

133.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K $10.5K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

99.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.25 $45.25

$36.90 MX$633

22.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 $55.6

$39.89 MX$685

39.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 $90.5

$80.0 MX$1,373

13.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$89.5 MX$1,536

17.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 $425

$956 MX$16.4K

-55.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 $689

$477 MX$8,189

44.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 $1,818

$1,646 MX$28.3K

10.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

11.42

-50.00%

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

Last update for Guayama: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $425 in Guayama and $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $80.0 in Guayama vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $250 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

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

Guayama and Playa del Carmen differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($2,124 vs $1,271 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,186 in Guayama and $1,906 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $425 in Guayama versus $956 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $461 in Guayama versus $197 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $80.0 in Guayama. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,124 in Guayama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Guayama. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Guayama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.