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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $459 in Gampaha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $774 in Gampaha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,088 in Gampaha.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 182% more expensive than in Gampaha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Gampaha 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$1.89 LKR 619

519.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$787

$18.03 LKR 5,916

158.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$5.25 LKR 1,723

121.90%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.2

$1.25 LKR 411

227.20%

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

$1.37 MX$23.23

$0.59 LKR 192

132.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.09

$0.27 LKR 89.1

207.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.7

$2.10 LKR 689

59.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.10 LKR 1,018

122.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.19

$1.57 LKR 515

10.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.20

$0.45 LKR 147

402.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.90

$0.74 LKR 244

139.19%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.18

$1.58 LKR 519

72.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$13.04 LKR 4,279

-29.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$4.05 LKR 1,329

120.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$7.34 LKR 2,407

71.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.1

$6.19 LKR 2,032

-51.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.54

$0.90 LKR 296

74.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.92

$4.35 LKR 1,427

-51.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.27

$1.24 LKR 408

82.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.87

$1.02 LKR 336

96.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.89

$0.75 LKR 246

174.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.94

$0.29 LKR 94.1

306.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.35

$0.32 LKR 106

275.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.3

$9.67 LKR 3,173

-52.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$181

$13.32 LKR 4,369

-19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.37

$1.36 LKR 446

19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.69

$2.46 LKR 807

17.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.69

$0.31 LKR 102

83.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$92.1

$0.31 LKR 102

1658.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.6

$0.36 LKR 118

927.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$0.88 LKR 288

579.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.25

$1.13 LKR 371

37.17%

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

$22.3K MX$377.3K

$30.5K LKR 10.0M

-26.88%

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

$25.9K MX$438.5K

$43.0K LKR 14.1M

-39.64%

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

$89.1 MX$1,506

$27.91 LKR 9,158

219.35%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$3.10 LKR 1,016

707.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$10.96 LKR 3,596

187.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,145

$7.43 LKR 2,438

812.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$489

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.3

$4.44 LKR 1,455

13.74%

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

$225 MX$3,802

$15.53 LKR 5,094

1348.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.4K

$120 LKR 39.4K

3413.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$802

$20.29 LKR 6,657

133.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$760

$9.37 LKR 3,074

380.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,386

$60.5 LKR 19.8K

35.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,556

$24.25 LKR 7,955

279.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$90.2 LKR 29.6K

1085.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,850

$55.6 LKR 18.2K

629.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$307 LKR 100.7K

530.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$166 LKR 54.6K

682.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

$230 LKR 75.4K

225.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

14.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Gampaha: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $90.2 in Gampaha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 226% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Gampaha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $219 per month, with Gampaha 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 Gampaha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Gampaha differ by about 182% in total monthly costs ($1,293 vs $459 including rent). Gampaha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 226% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $90.2 in Gampaha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $15.53 in Gampaha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gampaha – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $459 in Gampaha versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gampaha but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gampaha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Gampaha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.