Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gili Trawangan Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gili Trawangan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $974 in Gili Trawangan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,736 in Gili Trawangan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,499 in Gili Trawangan.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 29% more expensive than in Gili Trawangan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Gili Trawangan 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

397.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$734

$21.82 Rp 391.3K

92.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$3.34 Rp 60.0K

211.98%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.5

$1.87 Rp 33.6K

87.70%

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

$1.52 MX$26.53

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

72.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.93

$0.46 Rp 8,219

97.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.2

$1.94 Rp 34.8K

56.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.5

$2.57 Rp 46.1K

70.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.86

$1.38 Rp 24.7K

2.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.03

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

-4.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.60

$0.91 Rp 16.4K

79.12%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.43

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

41.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$11.25 Rp 201.8K

-23.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$149

$3.35 Rp 60.1K

153.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$9.34 Rp 167.4K

15.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.19

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

-1.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.13

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.00

$2.15 Rp 38.5K

-12.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.96

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

27.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.13

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

17.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.91

$1.75 Rp 31.4K

26.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

32.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.89

$0.55 Rp 9,819

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

72.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$17.88 Rp 320.7K

-41.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.50

$2.12 Rp 37.9K

-17.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.16

$2.10 Rp 37.6K

22.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.98

$0.25 Rp 4,487

104.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$454

$6.90 Rp 123.8K

275.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.2

$0.41 Rp 7,374

682.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.78

$0.39 Rp 6,949

541.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$5.25 Rp 94.2K

-39.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.98

$0.69 Rp 12.4K

82.61%

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

$29.7K MX$519.3K

$22.1K Rp 395.6M

34.61%

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

$23.7K MX$414.3K

$26.9K Rp 482.2M

-11.91%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$67.8 Rp 1.2M

21.08%

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

$22.73 MX$398

$3.40 Rp 61.0K

568.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$515

$20.73 Rp 371.8K

41.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$913

$68.0 Rp 1.2M

-23.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$323

$4.60 Rp 82.6K

301.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.3

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

70.59%

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

$202 MX$3,530

$218 Rp 3.9M

-7.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.3K

$4,891 Rp 87.7M

6.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$629

$46.61 Rp 835.9K

-22.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$706

$33.32 Rp 597.5K

21.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,397

$75.6 Rp 1.4M

5.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,562

$67.1 Rp 1.2M

33.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

$605 Rp 10.8M

56.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,140

$415 Rp 7.4M

12.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$2,097 Rp 37.6M

-22.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.9K

$1,249 Rp 22.4M

-4.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.8K

$1,690 Rp 30.3M

132.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.4K

$1,364 Rp 24.5M

371.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.28

-14.01%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Gili Trawangan: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $948 in Playa del Carmen and $605 in Gili Trawangan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $22.00 in Gili Trawangan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $229 per month, with Gili Trawangan 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 Gili Trawangan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gili Trawangan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,888 in Playa del Carmen and $1,461 in Gili Trawangan 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: $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $605 in Gili Trawangan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gili Trawangan – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $974 in Gili Trawangan versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gili Trawangan but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gili Trawangan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gili Trawangan 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 Gili Trawangan 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 Gili Trawangan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.