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 $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $451 in El Gouna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $724 in El Gouna, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $996 in El Gouna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 179% more than El Gouna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

$11.72 MX$204

$3.64 E£184

221.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$15.77 E£799

165.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$4.47 E£226

135.12%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$1.49 E£75.2

140.94%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$0.29 E£14.43

420.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.09 E£4.77

922.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$1.27 E£64.2

133.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.00 E£152

47.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$0.93 E£46.87

50.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.61 E£31.02

208.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$0.67 E£33.69

132.84%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.39 E£70.2

87.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$3.43 E£174

142.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$4.14 E£210

101.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$8.57 E£434

26.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$1.46 E£74.0

85.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$0.58 E£29.57

160.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$0.43 E£21.64

334.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$0.40 E£20.00

447.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$0.37 E£18.78

402.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$0.40 E£20.31

457.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.24 E£12.15

345.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.18 E£9.28

505.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$1.95 E£98.9

114.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$6.49 E£329

60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.25 E£63.1

32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$1.88 E£95.1

38.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$0.19 E£9.41

184.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$0.38 E£19.42

710.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$0.31 E£15.83

674.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$1.99 E£101

57.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$0.33 E£16.93

296.97%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$35.7K E£1.8M

-16.53%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$33.5K E£1.7M

-30.32%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$11.89 E£602

583.60%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$6.76 E£342

233.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$11.37 E£576

164.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$20.33 E£1,029

160.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$2.91 E£147

69.07%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$88.5 E£4,481

126.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$1,871 E£94.7K

176.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$27.61 E£1,398

30.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$43.48 E£2,201

-7.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$108 E£5,463

-26.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$50.7 E£2,565

70.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$189 E£9,544

418.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$98.1 E£4,966

379.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$276 E£14.0K

497.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$154 E£7,801

680.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

$805 E£40.8K

391.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

$500 E£25.3K

1220.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $189 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.00 in El Gouna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 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 179%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 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 $42.00 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 $451, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. 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.