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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $482 in Goa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $817 in Goa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,153 in Goa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 171% more expensive than in Goa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Goa 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$3.23 ₹308

270.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$15.96 ₹1,525

196.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$5.89 ₹563

99.49%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$1.20 ₹115

243.33%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$0.36 ₹34.38

288.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.20 ₹19.06

355.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.17 ₹112

174.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$2.59 ₹247

172.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$0.75 ₹71.8

124.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.54 ₹51.7

298.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$0.68 ₹65.3

160.29%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$0.91 ₹86.6

209.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$7.19 ₹686

27.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$3.14 ₹300

193.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$1.70 ₹163

73.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$0.77 ₹73.2

105.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.62 ₹155

37.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.45 ₹42.90

424.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$0.34 ₹32.01

485.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.40 ₹38.20

395.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.55 ₹53.0

125.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.30 ₹28.80

303.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$5.20 ₹497

-11.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.04 ₹672

49.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$0.91 ₹86.6

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.85 ₹273

-2.81%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.05 ₹482

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$0.25 ₹23.81

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$9.71 ₹927

205.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$1.07 ₹103

389.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$0.34 ₹32.55

973.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$1.50 ₹144

285.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.11 ₹106

38.74%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$12.8K ₹1.2M

78.09%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$29.6K ₹2.8M

-12.85%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$26.53 ₹2,534

241.76%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$3.10 ₹296

712.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$9.34 ₹892

239.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$17.08 ₹1,632

302.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$1.04 ₹99.4

2724.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$3.20 ₹306

51.88%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$111 ₹10.6K

103.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$1,758 ₹167.9K

138.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$32.23 ₹3,080

47.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$35.10 ₹3,353

23.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$59.8 ₹5,715

34.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$28.52 ₹2,725

220.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$183 ₹17.5K

492.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$163 ₹15.6K

150.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$521 ₹49.8K

278.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$417 ₹39.8K

207.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,169 ₹111.7K

246.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$683 ₹65.2K

882.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$344 ₹32.9K

124.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.12

25.55%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Goa: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $183 in Goa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 124% 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: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $16.00 in Goa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $110 per month, with Goa 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 Goa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Goa differ by about 171% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $482 including rent). Goa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 124% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $183 in Goa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 152% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Goa – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $482 in Goa versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Goa but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Goa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Goa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.