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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $483 in Giza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $767 in Giza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,052 in Giza.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 168% more expensive than Giza, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Giza 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.89 E£202

201.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$15.76 E£816

164.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.93 E£255

115.82%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.46 E£75.4

141.10%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.36 E£18.81

319.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.11 E£5.93

781.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.30 E£67.2

126.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.00 E£104

122.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$0.95 E£49.24

45.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.59 E£30.63

220.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$0.69 E£35.99

137.68%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$1.48 E£76.8

69.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.39 E£176

146.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.15 E£215

100.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$8.69 E£450

23.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.47 E£75.9

76.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$0.57 E£29.28

156.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$0.40 E£20.48

375.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$0.40 E£20.57

420.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$0.50 E£25.72

256.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.41 E£21.11

434.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.24 E£12.45

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.21 E£10.62

414.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.01 E£104

102.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$4.26 E£221

142.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.34 E£69.3

27.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.69 E£87.7

52.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.29 E£14.85

75.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$1.98 E£102

1236.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$0.42 E£21.62

676.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.25 E£13.03

896.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$2.03 E£105

60.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.34 E£17.37

285.29%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$35.2K E£1.8M

-14.03%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$33.2K E£1.7M

-29.46%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$19.33 E£1,001

328.71%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$7.48 E£388

197.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$12.44 E£645

135.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$17.18 E£890

200.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$7.04 E£365

160.23%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$3.59 E£186

41.23%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$90.7 E£4,700

121.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$1,971 E£102.1K

164.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$27.62 E£1,431

33.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$48.56 E£2,515

-18.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$106 E£5,513

-26.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$50.5 E£2,617

72.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$192 E£9,929

407.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$113 E£5,866

313.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$412 E£21.4K

297.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$178 E£9,228

585.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$798 E£41.3K

394.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,199 E£62.1K

441.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$125 E£6,482

430.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-32.82%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Giza: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $192 in Giza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 431% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $16.00 in Giza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $120 per month, with Giza 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 Giza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Giza is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 168% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 431% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $192 in Giza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Giza runs roughly 1236% less than in Playa del Carmen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $90.7 in Giza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $483 in Giza versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Giza but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Giza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Giza 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 Giza 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 Giza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 168% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.