Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Banjul

For one person, living is cheaper in Banjul: $677 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Banjul
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Banjul Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Banjul

🇬🇲 Gambia

$677

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Banjul

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $677 in Banjul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Banjul $677

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,191 in Banjul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Banjul $1,191

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,706 in Banjul, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Banjul $1,706

Playa del Carmen costs about 78% more than Banjul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Banjul are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Banjul 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$7.47 GMD 554

46.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

$75.6 GMD 5,603

-42.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$8.04 GMD 596

46.52%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

$3.72 GMD 276

2.42%

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

$2.66 GMD 197

-51.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.59

$1.53 GMD 114

-49.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$5.76 GMD 427

-44.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.0

$4.46 GMD 331

10.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

$1.40 GMD 104

0.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

$0.61 GMD 44.98

263.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

$1.32 GMD 97.6

7.58%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

$1.90 GMD 141

32.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

$6.24 GMD 462

16.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

$2.77 GMD 206

177.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

$5.77 GMD 427

119.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

$2.08 GMD 154

33.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

$1.27 GMD 93.9

7.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

$1.79 GMD 132

42.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

$1.40 GMD 104

51.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

$0.93 GMD 69.0

108.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

$1.00 GMD 74.0

89.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

$0.23 GMD 17.04

400.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

$0.62 GMD 46.05

90.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

$1.69 GMD 125

154.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

$6.55 GMD 486

51.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

$1.51 GMD 112

4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

$1.66 GMD 123

60.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

$0.18 GMD 13.08

205.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

$6.66 GMD 493

299.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

$0.71 GMD 52.5

369.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

$4.09 GMD 303

31.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.05 GMD 77.8

37.14%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

$2,648 GMD 196.2K

680.49%

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

$3,346 GMD 248.0K

601.20%

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

$30.46 GMD 2,257

178.37%

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

$23.41 MX$436

$14.52 GMD 1,076

61.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

$44.51 GMD 3,298

-35.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

$24.02 GMD 1,780

137.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

$13.42 GMD 994

115.42%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

$3.33 GMD 247

54.35%

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

$207 MX$3,851

$6.92 GMD 513

2884.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

$139 GMD 10.3K

2734.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

$56.3 GMD 4,170

-22.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

$44.27 GMD 3,280

-6.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

$98.0 GMD 7,262

-24.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

$86.9 GMD 6,439

2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

$105 GMD 7,744

837.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

$82.1 GMD 6,082

363.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

$220 GMD 16.3K

674.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

$138 GMD 10.2K

677.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

$1,443 GMD 107.0K

173.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

$1,165 GMD 86.3K

428.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$62.4 GMD 4,622

1077.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-23.67%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Banjul: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Banjul

$82 12.1% 78.4% $299

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Banjul

$152 22.5% 40.3% $103

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Banjul

$183 27.1% 9.5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Banjul

$89 13.2% 34.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Banjul

$128 19% 15% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Banjul

$31 4.5% 54.4% $37

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Banjul

$11 * 1.6% 78.4% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $105 in Banjul. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Playa del Carmen are about 12 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $76 in Banjul. Groceries tell a different story – $255 in Playa del Carmen vs $152 in Banjul – so Banjul wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇬🇲 Banjul

🕒 Local time

18:07 6:07 PM

23:07 11:07 PM

5 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

31,356 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Gambian Dalasi GMD D

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 GMD = 1.35 USD

100 GMD = 1.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GMD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Gambian Dalasi exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 74.1 GMD (100 GMD = 1.35 USD). 1 EUR = 82.49 GMD (100 GMD = 1.21 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Banjul 7,480 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Banjul

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

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 78%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,015 in Banjul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Banjul, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $105 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $677 in Banjul. That makes Banjul about 44% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 75% less in Banjul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Banjul, where all-in costs run around $677, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,204. In Banjul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Banjul – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Banjul. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.