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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $495 in Gampaha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $868 in Gampaha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,241 in Gampaha.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 162% more expensive than Gampaha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Gampaha 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$1.63 LKR 539

619.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$25.26 LKR 8,374

64.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.08 LKR 1,683

109.45%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.22 LKR 735

58.56%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.70 LKR 232

115.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.37 LKR 124

162.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.13 LKR 706

38.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$1.64 LKR 545

171.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.73 LKR 573

-20.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.52 LKR 173

263.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.73 LKR 244

124.66%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.21 LKR 733

13.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$14.25 LKR 4,724

-41.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.46 LKR 1,478

87.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.93 LKR 2,631

35.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$6.80 LKR 2,254

-61.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.07 LKR 354

36.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$5.67 LKR 1,881

-66.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.25 LKR 414

66.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.07 LKR 354

66.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.34 LKR 445

63.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.35 LKR 115

197.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.38 LKR 126

184.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$10.00 LKR 3,314

-59.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$13.06 LKR 4,332

-20.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.53 LKR 508

11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.66 LKR 883

-3.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.31 LKR 104

64.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.32 LKR 106

918.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.32 LKR 107

678.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$0.58 LKR 192

460.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.21 LKR 402

8.26%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$27.1K LKR 9.0M

11.87%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$34.3K LKR 11.4M

-31.59%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$29.59 LKR 9,812

180.06%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$3.41 LKR 1,131

551.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$12.33 LKR 4,087

137.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$8.60 LKR 2,850

500.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$3.39 LKR 1,124

49.56%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$16.54 LKR 5,484

1114.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$136 LKR 45.2K

3720.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$28.10 LKR 9,317

31.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$10.08 LKR 3,343

294.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$67.9 LKR 22.5K

15.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$27.03 LKR 8,963

222.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$98.5 LKR 32.7K

887.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$61.5 LKR 20.4K

660.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$341 LKR 113.1K

381.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$187 LKR 61.8K

554.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$223 LKR 74.1K

197.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Gampaha: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $98.5 in Gampaha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 197% 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 $25.00 in Gampaha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $243 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 162% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $495 including rent). Gampaha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 197% more on average, 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $98.5 in Gampaha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $16.54 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 $25.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $495 in Gampaha versus $1,297 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 162% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.