Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and George Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and George Town

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $843 in George Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,306 in George Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,769 in George Town.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 53% more expensive than George Town, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, George Town 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$3.02 MYR 11.93

295.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$21.35 MYR 84.3

100.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$4.27 MYR 16.86

148.01%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$2.62 MYR 10.35

38.17%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$0.77 MYR 3.03

90.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.36 MYR 1.44

161.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$4.36 MYR 17.20

-29.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$4.68 MYR 18.49

-4.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.82 MYR 7.21

-21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.12 MYR 4.43

67.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.67 MYR 6.60

-2.40%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.10 MYR 8.31

25.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$17.50 MYR 69.1

-53.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$4.97 MYR 19.65

66.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$10.47 MYR 41.35

6.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.86 MYR 11.30

-7.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.40 MYR 5.53

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$2.25 MYR 8.90

-11.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.28 MYR 5.04

62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.87 MYR 3.44

105.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.16 MYR 4.57

87.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.70 MYR 2.76

54.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.52 MYR 2.04

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$4.18 MYR 16.51

-5.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$12.70 MYR 50.2

-19.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$2.64 MYR 10.45

-34.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$3.36 MYR 13.29

-25.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.49 MYR 1.93

6.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$11.80 MYR 46.62

128.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.16 MYR 4.59

170.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.44 MYR 1.73

445.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$6.39 MYR 25.26

-51.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.49 MYR 1.94

159.18%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$34.1K MYR 134.6K

-9.35%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$25.0K MYR 98.7K

-6.71%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$38.18 MYR 151

114.80%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$9.68 MYR 38.23

131.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$28.98 MYR 114

2.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$38.37 MYR 152

35.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$3.78 MYR 14.94

393.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$4.13 MYR 16.30

20.34%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$146 MYR 578

35.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,643 MYR 18.3K

13.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$52.5 MYR 207

-30.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$28.61 MYR 113

39.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$62.5 MYR 247

27.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$52.1 MYR 206

70.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$371 MYR 1,465

159.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$253 MYR 999

83.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$709 MYR 2,799

125.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$498 MYR 1,969

142.54%

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

$1,112 MYR 4,393

-35.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.16

174.52%

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 George Town: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $371 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 54% 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 $21.00 in George Town. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $251, with Playa del Carmen cheaper for home cooking.

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 & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 53% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, George Town earns 54% less. 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $371 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 129% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $146 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $843 in George Town versus $1,287 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 53% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.