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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,327 in Garliava.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,033 in Garliava.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,738 in Garliava.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 4% less than in Garliava, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Garliava 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$11.79 €10.22

0.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$64.0 €55.4

-32.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$6.90 €5.98

54.35%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$3.16 €2.74

9.18%

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

$1.50 MX$26.24

$2.21 €1.92

-32.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$1.77 €1.54

-46.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.8

$5.32 €4.61

-43.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.4

$4.32 €3.74

6.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.01

$1.40 €1.21

-1.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.85 €1.60

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.11

$2.26 €1.96

-28.76%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.26

$2.85 €2.47

-9.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$10.86 €9.41

-23.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$7.67 €6.65

9.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$10.61 €9.19

0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.89

$1.35 €1.17

94.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.96

$1.60 €1.39

-6.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.50

$2.20 €1.91

-12.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.41

$3.38 €2.93

-38.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.42

$0.76 €0.66

144.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.47

$0.93 €0.80

143.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.54

$1.73 €1.50

-38.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.98

$0.80 €0.70

36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.4

$5.64 €4.89

-26.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$181

$10.15 €8.79

2.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.09

$1.65 €1.43

4.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.60

$1.80 €1.56

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

$1.19 €1.03

-54.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$470

$32.96 €28.57

-18.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$2.91 €2.52

7.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.82

$1.02 €0.88

146.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$9.09 €7.88

-65.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.25

$1.62 €1.41

-21.60%

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

$30.4K MX$530.1K

$39.3K €34.1K

-22.74%

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

$23.6K MX$411.3K

$29.3K €25.4K

-19.46%

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

$83.0 MX$1,449

$211 €183

-60.60%

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

$22.71 MX$396

$15.82 €13.71

43.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$514

$14.81 €12.84

98.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$890

$42.83 €37.13

19.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

$22.97 €19.91

-20.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

$9.02 €7.81

-45.34%

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

$197 MX$3,444

$461 €400

-57.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.1K

$7,805 €6,765

-32.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$644

$83.4 €72.3

-55.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$696

$43.60 €37.79

-8.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,396

$84.4 €73.1

-5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,561

$114 €98.5

-21.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$533 €462

79.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,327

$365 €316

30.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.7K

$818 €709

101.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$647 €561

89.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$3,092 €2,680

26.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.7K

$1,776 €1,539

263.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.6K

$1,394 €1,208

-52.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.13

176.51%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Garliava: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $533 in Garliava. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Garliava pays 109% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $64.0 in Garliava for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $251 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Garliava: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Garliava earns 109% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $533 in Garliava. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 22% less than in Garliava. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $461 in Garliava. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,327 in Garliava, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Garliava. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Garliava 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Garliava. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.