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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $702 in Gaza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,046 in Gaza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,390 in Gaza.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 85% more expensive than Gaza, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Gaza 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$4.13 ₪11.87

184.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$721

$15.65 ₪44.93

165.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.94 ₪19.94

53.31%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$61.0

$2.26 ₪6.47

55.75%

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

$1.51 MX$26.17

$0.76 ₪2.19

98.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.87

$0.48 ₪1.39

102.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.1

$2.84 ₪8.15

3.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.2

$8.51 ₪24.43

-47.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.59 ₪4.56

-13.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$0.82 ₪2.36

130.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.37

$2.19 ₪6.28

-25.11%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.42

$1.96 ₪5.61

28.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$4.69 ₪13.47

77.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$145

$5.77 ₪16.56

44.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$12.74 ₪36.58

-15.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.12

$1.20 ₪3.44

116.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.25

$1.07 ₪3.07

36.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.94

$1.11 ₪3.20

71.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.98

$0.68 ₪1.95

205.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.77

$0.81 ₪2.32

119.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.87

$0.81 ₪2.31

170.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$18.02

$0.80 ₪2.30

30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.66

$0.63 ₪1.81

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.7

$7.16 ₪20.55

-43.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$179

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.67

$2.49 ₪7.15

-31.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.63

$3.83 ₪11.00

-32.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.83

$0.58 ₪1.68

-12.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$459

$29.58 ₪84.9

-10.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.5

$1.37 ₪3.93

137.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.17

$1.37 ₪3.93

81.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.3

$5.70 ₪16.38

-42.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.65

$1.99 ₪5.72

-34.17%

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

$30.3K MX$524.7K

$30.7K ₪88.2K

-1.44%

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

$23.4K MX$406.0K

$24.1K ₪69.1K

-2.66%

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

$82.9 MX$1,436

$87.7 ₪252

-5.52%

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

$22.22 MX$385

$13.93 ₪39.98

59.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$508

$38.23 ₪110

-23.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$895

$19.95 ₪57.3

158.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$13.16 ₪37.79

39.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.8

$11.24 ₪32.27

-54.89%

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

$201 MX$3,480

$130 ₪373

54.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.3K

$2,398 ₪6,886

117.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$640

$23.61 ₪67.8

56.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$689

$22.18 ₪63.7

79.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,360

$88.5 ₪254

-11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,509

$38.41 ₪110

126.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.9K

$188 ₪539

418.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,105

$119 ₪343

291.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$260 ₪746

531.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.2K

$175 ₪502

598.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$116 ₪332

474.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

7.58

50.66%

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 Gaza: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $188 in Gaza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 474% 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 $16.00 in Gaza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $177 per month, with Gaza 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 Gaza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Gaza differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $702 including rent). Gaza is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 474% 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 $188 in Gaza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $130 in Gaza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $702 in Gaza versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gaza but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gaza 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 Gaza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.