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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,971 in Gzira versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,994 in Gzira versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,017 in Gzira versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gzira is roughly 57% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gzira is 48% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 €17.47

$11.99 MX$210

66.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €61.8

$41.78 MX$733

69.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 €10.22

$10.75 MX$189

8.65%

Cappuccino

$2.75 €2.41

$3.50 MX$61.3

-21.43%

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

$2.09 €1.83

$1.45 MX$25.41

44.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.88 MX$15.52

93.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 €4.13

$2.95 MX$51.7

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 €4.20

$4.51 MX$79.1

6.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.43 MX$25.12

-13.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 €1.37

$1.84 MX$32.23

-15.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.55 €3.10

$1.57 MX$27.51

126.11%

Eggs

$3.60 €3.15

$2.51 MX$44.06

43.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 €8.53

$8.28 MX$145

17.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 €8.21

$8.43 MX$148

11.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 €12.36

$10.68 MX$187

32.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 €2.94

$2.61 MX$45.76

28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.44 MX$25.22

42.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.91 €2.54

$1.96 MX$34.41

48.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 €2.88

$2.09 MX$36.74

57.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.85 MX$32.47

-3.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 €2.55

$2.17 MX$38.02

34.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.03 MX$18.09

70.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.09

$1.07 MX$18.84

16.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 €5.66

$4.10 MX$72.0

57.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.17

$10.17 MX$178

-41.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.50

$1.68 MX$29.38

2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.53 MX$44.31

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 €2.32

$0.51 MX$8.93

419.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$457

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$8.09 €7.08

$3.23 MX$56.7

150.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.64

$2.41 MX$42.19

-21.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.85 €30.49

$3.23 MX$56.6

978.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 €1.39

$1.32 MX$23.17

20.45%

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

$25.9K €22.7K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

-12.82%

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

$40.2K €35.2K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

69.93%

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

$86.9 €76.0

$82.0 MX$1,439

5.90%

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

$23.61 €20.65

$22.95 MX$403

2.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €28.64

$30.11 MX$528

8.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.7 €65.4

$52.0 MX$912

43.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.85 €19.99

$18.53 MX$325

23.31%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.20

$4.98 MX$87.3

111.24%

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

$262 €229

$197 MX$3,463

32.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K €11.3K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

142.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.9

$35.60 MX$624

185.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.77 €33.92

$40.33 MX$707

-3.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 €101

$78.8 MX$1,381

45.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 €89.1

$88.9 MX$1,560

14.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,098

$947 MX$16.6K

32.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$989 €865

$474 MX$8,314

108.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,959 €1,714

$1,644 MX$28.8K

19.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,446

$1,211 MX$21.2K

36.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,654 €4,947

$4,056 MX$71.1K

39.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,513 €3,948

$6,470 MX$113.5K

-30.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,969 €1,722

$654 MX$11.5K

201.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.43

11.42

-52.45%

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

Last update for Gzira: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,255 in Gzira and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gzira pays 201% 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: $71.0 in Gzira vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 201% higher in Gzira, 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: $1,255 in Gzira versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Gzira. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,971 per month in Gzira versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,971 in Gzira, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gzira. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Gzira, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gzira and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Gzira. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.