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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $826 in Gaborone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,328 in Gaborone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,830 in Gaborone.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 52% more expensive than in Gaborone, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Gaborone 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$7.27 P 96.3

61.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$29.63 P 392

41.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$6.03 P 79.8

74.30%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.20 P 29.08

63.18%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$0.84 P 11.10

79.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.51 P 6.69

80.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.25 P 29.81

31.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.93 P 38.82

50.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$1.42 P 18.78

-1.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$0.88 P 11.62

113.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.78 P 23.52

-12.36%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.36 P 31.30

10.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$7.34 P 97.2

13.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$5.03 P 66.7

66.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$5.60 P 74.2

93.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$1.82 P 24.15

48.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.44 P 19.04

4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.92 P 25.43

-2.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.61 P 21.35

36.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$1.46 P 19.32

27.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.21 P 15.96

84.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$1.14 P 15.14

-6.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.91 P 12.04

19.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$3.60 P 47.62

16.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$4.10 P 54.3

154.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.65 P 21.88

0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.18 P 28.89

19.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.50 P 6.56

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$30.13 P 399

-13.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$0.57 P 7.55

440.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.68 P 35.52

-10.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$3.03 P 40.08

3.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.14 P 15.09

14.91%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$22.7K P 301.1K

31.06%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$17.1K P 226.2K

36.52%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$70.5 P 934

15.24%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$26.17 P 346

-13.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$78.6 P 1,041

-61.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$32.61 P 432

62.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$14.67 P 194

25.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$6.80 P 90.1

-27.65%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$181 P 2,400

10.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$3,912 P 51.8K

32.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$42.18 P 558

-14.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$24.24 P 321

65.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$75.1 P 994

6.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$97.5 P 1,291

-11.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$245 P 3,244

299.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$143 P 1,893

228.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$536 P 7,101

207.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$339 P 4,492

254.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,021 P 26.8K

95.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,273 P 16.9K

418.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$442 P 5,848

53.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.12

25.22%

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 Gaborone: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $245 in Gaborone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 53% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $30.00 in Gaborone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $180 per month, with Gaborone 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

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

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 53% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $245 in Gaborone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaborone – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $826 in Gaborone versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Gaborone 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 Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.