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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,057 in Gizo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,946 in Gizo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,834 in Gizo.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 39% less than in Gizo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Gizo is 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$3.07 SBD 24.77

281.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$53.8 SBD 435

-22.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$14.73 SBD 119

-28.65%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$2.63 SBD 21.24

36.50%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.18 SBD 9.52

27.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$1.23 SBD 9.94

-25.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.39 SBD 19.29

23.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$2.37 SBD 19.16

86.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$3.16 SBD 25.56

-55.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.35 SBD 10.89

39.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.39 SBD 11.23

12.23%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$6.63 SBD 53.5

-60.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$8.53 SBD 68.9

-2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$6.14 SBD 49.62

35.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$8.27 SBD 66.8

31.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$6.78 SBD 54.8

-60.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$6.14 SBD 49.57

-75.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$6.15 SBD 49.69

-69.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$3.07 SBD 24.77

-28.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$2.96 SBD 23.93

-37.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$2.33 SBD 18.83

-4.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$2.43 SBD 19.60

-55.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$1.29 SBD 10.44

-15.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$4.31 SBD 34.83

-2.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$12.34 SBD 99.7

-15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.82 SBD 14.72

-8.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$2.19 SBD 17.71

19.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.37 SBD 3.00

45.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$29.81 SBD 241

-12.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.17 SBD 9.44

163.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$2.30 SBD 18.57

4.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$11.88 SBD 96.0

-73.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.76 SBD 14.19

-25.57%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$20.2K SBD 162.9K

47.84%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$20.9K SBD 169.2K

11.33%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$712 SBD 5,749

-88.58%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$13.17 SBD 106

71.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$122 SBD 984

-75.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$18.13 SBD 146

191.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$5.84 SBD 47.21

214.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$4.16 SBD 33.64

18.27%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$121 SBD 980

65.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$1,196 SBD 9,662

332.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$24.52 SBD 198

46.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$91.0 SBD 735

-55.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$95.1 SBD 768

-16.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$84.9 SBD 686

1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$582 SBD 4,702

68.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$578 SBD 4,673

-18.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$601 SBD 4,854

174.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$1,193 SBD 9,637

0.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$87.7K SBD 708.3K

-95.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$391 SBD 3,162

72.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

16.33

-30.07%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Gizo: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $582 in Gizo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $54.0 in Gizo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $346 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Gizo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Gizo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 73% 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $582 in Gizo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Gizo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $54.0 in Gizo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,057 in Gizo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gizo. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,260 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Gizo 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Gizo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.