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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $828 in George Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,304 in George Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,781 in George Town.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 54% more expensive than George Town, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, George Town 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$3.13 MYR 12.71

279.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$21.31 MYR 86.4

101.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.14 MYR 16.80

157.25%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.58 MYR 10.46

33.72%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.77 MYR 3.14

94.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.33 MYR 1.36

187.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$4.26 MYR 17.26

-28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$4.79 MYR 19.42

-3.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.85 MYR 7.50

-25.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.12 MYR 4.54

65.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.69 MYR 6.85

-4.73%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.05 MYR 8.32

26.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$17.52 MYR 71.0

-52.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.95 MYR 20.07

69.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$10.66 MYR 43.24

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.82 MYR 11.44

-6.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.43 MYR 5.82

4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$2.19 MYR 8.87

-12.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.26 MYR 5.12

65.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.89 MYR 3.59

108.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.21 MYR 4.91

86.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.69 MYR 2.78

53.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.55 MYR 2.25

98.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$4.02 MYR 16.28

3.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$12.54 MYR 50.9

-17.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$2.63 MYR 10.68

-34.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$3.38 MYR 13.72

-22.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.49 MYR 1.97

10.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$11.56 MYR 46.89

133.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.16 MYR 4.72

169.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.44 MYR 1.78

470.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$6.61 MYR 26.80

-52.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.47 MYR 1.89

170.21%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$33.2K MYR 134.6K

-8.47%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$24.7K MYR 100.2K

-4.66%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$38.53 MYR 156

115.42%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$9.93 MYR 40.25

128.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$29.52 MYR 120

-0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$38.84 MYR 157

31.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$3.66 MYR 14.85

400.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$4.06 MYR 16.45

21.43%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$150 MYR 607

31.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,580 MYR 18.6K

15.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$50.8 MYR 206

-27.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$29.05 MYR 118

37.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$60.5 MYR 245

32.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$52.4 MYR 213

70.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$370 MYR 1,501

158.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$259 MYR 1,051

84.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$712 MYR 2,887

131.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$498 MYR 2,018

146.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$1,085 MYR 4,400

-38.54%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for George Town: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $370 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 63% 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 $250 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 Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, George Town earns 63% 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: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $370 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 133% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $150 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $828 in George Town versus $1,271 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 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.