Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Garissa

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Garissa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Garissa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $381 in Garissa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Garissa $381

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $667 in Garissa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Garissa $667

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $952 in Garissa, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Garissa $952

Playa del Carmen costs about 218% more than Garissa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Playa del Carmen and Garissa are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Garissa 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$11.79 KES 1,528

-8.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$23.02 KES 2,984

86.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$7.73 KES 1,002

-49.94%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$1.88 KES 244

-27.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$1.13 KES 147

-25.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$0.52 KES 66.9

176.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$0.59 KES 76.9

277.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.47 KES 191

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.92 KES 249

31.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$6.10 KES 791

28.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$5.39 KES 698

137.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$3.78 KES 490

-23.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$3.11 KES 403

-53.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$4.69 KES 608

-45.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$0.79 KES 102

160.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.22 KES 158

63.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$1.57 KES 204

28.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$2.37 KES 307

-49.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.56 KES 72.3

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$5.71 KES 741

67.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$1.67 KES 217

-4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$3.82 KES 496

-26.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

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

$23.99 MX$443

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

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

$204 MX$3,763

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$129 KES 16.8K

483.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Garissa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Garissa

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Garissa

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Garissa

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Garissa

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Garissa

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Garissa

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Garissa

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 483% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $23.00 in Garissa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $182 – making Garissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇰🇪 Garissa

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

00:59 12:59 AM

8 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

119,696

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Garissa 13,810 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Garissa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Garissa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, $381 in Garissa – roughly 218% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $572 in Garissa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen and $23.00 in Garissa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $381 in Garissa. That's a gap of about 218%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Garissa, where all-in costs run around $381, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Garissa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $381 in Garissa to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Garissa. 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.