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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,293 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,273 in Gela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,063 in Gela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,374 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,854 in Gela.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 2% more expensive than in Gela, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Gela 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.71 MX$198

$11.55 €9.94

1.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.59 MX$786

$57.9 €49.85

-19.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 MX$197

$9.61 €8.27

21.23%

Cappuccino

$4.09 MX$69.1

$1.76 €1.52

132.39%

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

$1.37 MX$23.20

$2.37 €2.04

-42.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.07

$1.30 €1.11

-36.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.35 MX$56.6

$4.10 €3.53

-18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 MX$117

$3.97 €3.42

74.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 MX$29.15

$1.29 €1.11

34.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 MX$38.15

$1.84 €1.58

22.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$29.86

$2.36 €2.03

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$46.12

$3.11 €2.68

-12.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 MX$155

$15.24 €13.11

-39.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.92 MX$151

$12.48 €10.74

-28.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$17.99 €15.48

-29.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 MX$51.0

$3.11 €2.67

-2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.51

$2.19 €1.88

-28.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$35.88

$2.23 €1.92

-4.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.22

$2.39 €2.05

-5.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.82

$1.69 €1.45

18.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$34.85

$2.92 €2.51

-29.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 MX$19.91

$1.39 €1.20

-15.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.32

$0.41 €0.35

192.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.63 MX$78.2

$6.94 €5.97

-33.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.69 MX$180

$7.91 €6.81

35.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.33

$2.11 €1.81

-23.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$48.63

$2.21 €1.90

30.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.68

$1.55 €1.33

-63.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$503

$42.81 €36.83

-30.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$91.9

$11.83 €10.18

-53.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.70 MX$62.5

$2.25 €1.94

64.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 MX$101

$34.68 €29.84

-82.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.22

$2.00 €1.72

-22.50%

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

$22.3K MX$376.8K

$36.9K €31.8K

-39.55%

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

$25.9K MX$438.0K

$36.2K €31.2K

-28.34%

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

$89.1 MX$1,504

$175 €151

-49.09%

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

$25.04 MX$423

$10.34 €8.90

142.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.50 MX$532

$27.57 €23.72

14.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.8 MX$1,144

$51.9 €44.66

30.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$488

$25.86 €22.26

11.83%

Cinema Ticket

$5.05 MX$85.2

$9.47 €8.15

-46.67%

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

$225 MX$3,797

$441 €380

-49.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,222 MX$71.3K

$10.5K €9,021

-59.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$801

$73.1 €62.9

-35.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 MX$759

$32.09 €27.62

40.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 MX$1,384

$88.2 €75.9

-7.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 MX$1,555

$131 €113

-29.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.0K

$315 €271

239.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 MX$6,842

$280 €241

44.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 MX$32.7K

$514 €442

276.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MX$22.0K

$568 €489

128.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.4K

$2,229 €1,918

79.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$111.8K

$1,062 €914

524.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.8

201.32%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Last update for Gela: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $315 in Gela. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $58.0 in Gela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $317 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 Gela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gela is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,940 in Playa del Carmen and $1,909 in Gela 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $315 in Gela. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $225 in Playa del Carmen versus $441 in Gela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Playa del Carmen pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,273 in Gela versus $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gela but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Gela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.