Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and George Town

For one person, living is cheaper in George Town: $956 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
Learn more

Playa del Carmen Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
Learn more

George Town Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$956

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in George Town

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in George Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,210 in Playa del Carmen versus $956 in George Town.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
George Town $956

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,113 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,599 in George Town.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
George Town $1,599

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,016 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,243 in George Town.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
George Town $2,243

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 27% more expensive than in George Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 10% lower, George Town 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$3.41 MYR 13.92

215.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$15.33 MYR 62.5

180.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$4.55 MYR 18.58

159.12%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$2.61 MYR 10.66

48.28%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$0.78 MYR 3.16

75.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$0.35 MYR 1.43

140.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$2.42 MYR 9.88

28.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$4.46 MYR 18.21

13.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$1.85 MYR 7.56

-22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

$1.05 MYR 4.28

112.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.68 MYR 6.85

-12.50%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$2.21 MYR 9.03

14.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$13.65 MYR 55.7

-46.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$4.51 MYR 18.38

74.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$8.49 MYR 34.62

50.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$2.43 MYR 9.89

19.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

$1.43 MYR 5.84

0.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$2.23 MYR 9.12

14.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

$1.19 MYR 4.86

73.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$0.93 MYR 3.77

115.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

$0.85 MYR 3.45

136.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

$0.70 MYR 2.87

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.57 MYR 2.31

121.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

$4.42 MYR 18.03

-0.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

$18.74 MYR 76.5

-48.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$2.42 MYR 9.89

-34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$3.59 MYR 14.65

-21.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

$0.47 MYR 1.91

21.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

$10.84 MYR 44.24

156.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

$1.24 MYR 5.08

301.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

$0.51 MYR 2.09

586.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

$6.87 MYR 28.03

-21.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

$0.84 MYR 3.43

75.00%

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

$42.3K MYR 172.6K

-50.41%

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

$28.7K MYR 117.0K

-16.67%

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

$36.87 MYR 150

128.40%

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

$23.99 MX$443

$8.21 MYR 33.51

192.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$28.51 MYR 116

1.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$40.21 MYR 164

56.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

$5.04 MYR 20.55

478.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

$4.76 MYR 19.43

3.78%

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

$204 MX$3,763

$173 MYR 705

17.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

$4,848 MYR 19.8K

-18.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

$53.1 MYR 216

-17.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

$34.45 MYR 141

25.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

$74.5 MYR 304

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

$69.8 MYR 285

26.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

$505 MYR 2,059

99.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

$374 MYR 1,524

0.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

$932 MYR 3,804

83.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

$992 MYR 4,046

11.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

$1,094 MYR 4,462

-31.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

4.04

183.42%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for George Town: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

George Town

$374 39.1% 0.1% $0.4

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

George Town

$240 25.1% 7.1% $18

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

George Town

$98 10.2% 51.6% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

George Town

$74 7.7% 46.4% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

George Town

$104 10.9% 7.7% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

George Town

$50 5.2% 31.8% $23

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

George Town

$17 1.7% 68.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,008 in Playa del Carmen and $505 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $15.00 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $258 vs $240 per month, with George Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇲🇾 George Town

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

02:29 2:29 AM

13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

794,313

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.78 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen George Town 17,010 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
George Town

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George Town is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 27% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in George Town. 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: $1,008 in Playa del Carmen versus $505 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George Town runs roughly 157% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $204 in Playa del Carmen versus $173 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $956 in George Town versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George Town but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes George Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, George Town 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.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and George Town 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 George Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.