Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and El Gouna Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and El Gouna

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $457 in El Gouna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $721 in El Gouna, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $985 in El Gouna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 181% more than El Gouna, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and El Gouna are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 4% lower, El Gouna 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.55 E£188

236.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$15.89 E£842

169.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.48 E£238

136.38%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.48 E£78.3

144.59%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.29 E£15.28

406.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.12 E£6.52

683.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.21 E£64.2

155.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.98 E£158

49.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.87 E£46.38

64.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.59 E£31.08

218.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.65 E£34.54

150.77%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.44 E£76.4

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$3.27 E£173

151.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.36 E£231

90.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$8.64 E£458

28.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$1.48 E£78.2

79.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.58 E£30.77

158.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.39 E£20.94

410.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.40 E£21.12

420.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.38 E£19.96

371.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.41 E£21.64

431.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.24 E£12.76

350.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.20 E£10.41

420.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.88 E£99.8

111.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$6.18 E£327

65.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.25 E£66.4

38.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.85 E£98.0

35.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.19 E£10.07

173.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.39 E£20.48

705.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.31 E£16.65

674.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$1.93 E£102

60.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.31 E£16.28

309.68%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$34.9K E£1.8M

-11.50%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$32.7K E£1.7M

-28.74%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$11.93 E£632

587.43%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$6.84 E£363

228.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$11.38 E£603

160.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$20.31 E£1,077

155.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$2.93 E£156

69.62%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$88.4 E£4,688

123.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$1,863 E£98.7K

183.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$27.51 E£1,458

32.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$43.51 E£2,306

-7.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$107 E£5,664

-25.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$51.3 E£2,718

73.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$192 E£10.2K

402.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$98.3 E£5,209

372.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$277 E£14.7K

476.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$154 E£8,181

683.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$765 E£40.5K

415.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$501 E£26.5K

1187.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.67

-31.49%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $192 in El Gouna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in El Gouna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $251 vs $123 – making El Gouna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 El Gouna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 181%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $686 in El Gouna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Gouna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $16.00 in El Gouna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 105% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in El Gouna, where all-in costs run around $457, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. In El Gouna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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