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: $1,294 in Playa del Carmen versus $405 in Gaur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,189 in Playa del Carmen versus $668 in Gaur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,084 in Playa del Carmen versus $931 in Gaur.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 219% more expensive than in Gaur, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Gaur 70% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$204

$1.81 NPR 273

548.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$725

$19.25 NPR 2,906

117.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 MX$181

$6.37 NPR 961

63.42%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.56 NPR 235

131.41%

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

$1.46 MX$25.28

$0.54 NPR 80.9

170.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.18 NPR 26.97

438.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.8

$2.55 NPR 385

14.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.2

$3.71 NPR 560

24.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$0.74 NPR 112

93.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 MX$32.98

$0.59 NPR 88.4

222.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.18

$0.78 NPR 117

101.28%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.73

$1.66 NPR 251

59.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$146

$7.61 NPR 1,149

10.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.58 MX$149

$3.10 NPR 469

176.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.00 MX$191

$6.15 NPR 928

78.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$46.91

$2.27 NPR 342

18.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.15

$1.05 NPR 159

43.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.22

$1.25 NPR 188

52.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.69

$0.65 NPR 98.9

233.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.53

$0.49 NPR 73.4

281.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.76

$0.69 NPR 104

223.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.76

$0.52 NPR 79.0

107.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.27 NPR 41.13

296.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.16 MX$72.2

$2.83 NPR 428

47.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.29 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.20

$2.33 NPR 351

-27.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.96

$3.32 NPR 502

-23.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.61

$0.20 NPR 29.67

175.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$2.14 NPR 324

49.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.73

$0.76 NPR 115

223.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 MX$55.5

$3.69 NPR 557

-13.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.22 NPR 185

8.20%

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

$30.2K MX$523.3K

$32.3K NPR 4.9M

-6.65%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$39.9K NPR 6.0M

-41.37%

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

$81.4 MX$1,412

$26.76 NPR 4,040

204.00%

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

$22.41 MX$389

$4.94 NPR 746

353.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.97 MX$520

$9.88 NPR 1,491

203.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$18.12 NPR 2,736

184.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

Cinema Ticket

$5.16 MX$89.6

$2.68 NPR 405

92.54%

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

$202 MX$3,501

$73.9 NPR 11.2K

172.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,311 MX$92.2K

$2,769 NPR 418.1K

91.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.61 MX$618

$24.93 NPR 3,764

42.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.37 MX$701

$27.39 NPR 4,136

47.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 MX$1,365

$44.81 NPR 6,765

75.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 MX$1,507

$29.19 NPR 4,406

197.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.5K

$107 NPR 16.2K

787.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,298

$62.7 NPR 9,464

662.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 MX$28.1K

$203 NPR 30.6K

698.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 MX$21.2K

$143 NPR 21.6K

753.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$673 MX$11.7K

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Gaur: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $950 in Playa del Carmen and $107 in Gaur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $19.00 in Gaur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $132 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 219% in total monthly costs ($1,294 vs $405 including rent). Gaur is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,941 in Playa del Carmen and $608 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: $950 in Playa del Carmen versus $107 in Gaur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $202 in Playa del Carmen versus $73.9 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $405 in Gaur versus $1,294 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 219% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.