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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $478 in Giza.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $750 in Giza.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,021 in Giza.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 163% more expensive than in Giza, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Giza 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.93 E£201

205.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$16.03 E£818

160.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$4.90 E£250

119.39%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.44 E£73.3

143.06%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.34 E£17.20

326.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.14 E£7.13

528.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.24 E£63.5

137.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.00 E£102

125.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.93 E£47.46

53.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.59 E£30.21

211.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$0.70 E£35.55

124.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$1.49 E£75.9

68.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$3.30 E£168

150.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$4.20 E£215

100.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$8.48 E£433

25.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.42 E£72.5

83.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.59 E£30.25

144.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$0.42 E£21.62

366.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.36 E£18.54

480.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.47 E£23.92

293.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.44 E£22.42

393.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.22 E£11.18

368.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.20 E£10.07

435.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$1.96 E£100

109.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$4.54 E£232

124.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.39 E£71.2

20.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.73 E£88.2

46.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.31 E£15.92

64.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$1.98 E£101

1215.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$0.38 E£19.61

750.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.25 E£12.85

864.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.00 E£102

61.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$0.31 E£15.68

325.81%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.7K E£1.8M

-16.70%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.4K E£1.7M

-29.16%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$19.09 E£975

329.60%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$7.36 E£376

211.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$12.39 E£633

143.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$17.25 E£881

201.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$7.36 E£376

151.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.51 E£179

41.88%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$92.1 E£4,699

114.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,952 E£99.6K

173.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$27.51 E£1,404

29.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$48.88 E£2,495

-17.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$106 E£5,398

-25.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$51.5 E£2,630

72.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$198 E£10.1K

378.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$113 E£5,757

320.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$413 E£21.1K

298.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$176 E£8,973

588.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$819 E£41.8K

395.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,261 E£64.4K

413.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$131 E£6,695

398.62%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Giza: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $198 in Giza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 399% 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 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 399% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $198 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 1215% 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 $92.1 in Giza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $478 in Giza versus $1,256 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 163% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.