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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $399 in Gaur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $669 in Gaur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $938 in Gaur.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 222% more expensive than Gaur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Gaur 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$1.79 NPR 272

567.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$19.15 NPR 2,910

123.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.58 NPR 999

60.94%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.49 NPR 226

142.95%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.55 NPR 82.8

167.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.15 NPR 22.69

526.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.52 NPR 383

22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$3.54 NPR 537

25.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.75 NPR 114

90.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$0.55 NPR 83.6

241.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$0.76 NPR 116

114.47%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.70 NPR 259

55.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$7.24 NPR 1,100

13.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.14 NPR 476

164.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$6.03 NPR 916

84.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.17 NPR 330

22.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.09 NPR 166

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.19 NPR 181

67.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$0.64 NPR 97.1

225.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.48 NPR 73.2

272.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$0.65 NPR 98.7

235.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.50 NPR 75.5

116.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.25 NPR 37.85

316.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$2.89 NPR 440

37.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.26 NPR 343

-23.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.33 NPR 505

-24.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.21 NPR 32.10

147.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$2.21 NPR 336

42.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.78 NPR 118

207.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$3.71 NPR 564

-16.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.23 NPR 187

3.25%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$31.6K NPR 4.8M

-2.18%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$40.5K NPR 6.2M

-42.48%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$26.99 NPR 4,100

203.85%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$5.02 NPR 762

347.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$9.46 NPR 1,436

213.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$18.12 NPR 2,753

186.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$2.75 NPR 418

80.73%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$73.5 NPR 11.2K

169.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,786 NPR 423.2K

89.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$24.74 NPR 3,758

46.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$27.21 NPR 4,134

47.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$44.95 NPR 6,828

77.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$28.45 NPR 4,321

212.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$103 NPR 15.7K

832.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$63.8 NPR 9,687

628.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$203 NPR 30.9K

685.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$142 NPR 21.6K

749.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

12.08

-5.46%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Gaur: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $103 in Gaur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Gaur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $129 per month, with Gaur 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 Gaur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Gaur differ by about 222% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $399 including rent). Gaur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,930 in Playa del Carmen and $599 in Gaur to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $103 in Gaur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $73.5 in Gaur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaur – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $399 in Gaur versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gaur but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gaur 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Gaur 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 Gaur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 222% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.