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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $451 in El Gouna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $723 in El Gouna, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $994 in El Gouna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 182% 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 5% lower, El Gouna 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.59 E£183

230.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$15.93 E£813

169.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.57 E£233

133.04%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.47 E£75.0

134.69%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.29 E£14.79

417.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.11 E£5.72

763.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.21 E£61.9

150.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.00 E£153

53.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$0.93 E£47.59

48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.59 E£30.06

213.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$0.65 E£33.37

147.69%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.44 E£73.6

79.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$3.31 E£169

149.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.15 E£212

101.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$8.77 E£448

21.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.49 E£76.1

76.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.53 E£27.26

181.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.42 E£21.64

357.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$0.36 E£18.58

480.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.40 E£20.62

365.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$0.41 E£20.75

451.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.24 E£12.32

341.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.20 E£10.03

445.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.88 E£95.9

120.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$6.15 E£314

68.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.27 E£64.6

35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.84 E£94.2

41.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.21 E£10.94

157.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.41 E£21.16

663.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.31 E£15.92

709.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$2.00 E£102

57.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.34 E£17.12

273.53%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$36.0K E£1.8M

-15.68%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-29.11%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$11.74 E£599

606.98%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$7.07 E£361

221.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$11.27 E£576

161.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$20.91 E£1,068

143.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$3.01 E£154

63.79%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$87.4 E£4,463

125.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$1,826 E£93.2K

189.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$27.24 E£1,391

35.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$43.85 E£2,240

-9.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$110 E£5,638

-27.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$51.2 E£2,615

74.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$191 E£9,778

399.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$98.5 E£5,031

384.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$272 E£13.9K

505.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$154 E£7,854

696.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$787 E£40.2K

397.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$484 E£24.7K

1233.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $191 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: $250 vs $122 – 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 182%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $677 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 104% 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 $451, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.