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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $581 in Goa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $885 in Goa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,190 in Goa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 116% more expensive than in Goa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Goa 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.39 ₹327

253.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$15.43 ₹1,488

170.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.74 ₹554

87.28%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.32 ₹127

165.15%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.39 ₹37.45

271.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.23 ₹22.25

282.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.30 ₹125

126.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.17 ₹305

42.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.79 ₹76.6

81.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.60 ₹57.5

206.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.13 ₹109

38.94%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$0.93 ₹89.7

169.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.70 ₹646

23.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.19 ₹308

164.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.09 ₹201

24.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$0.93 ₹89.3

54.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.72 ₹166

13.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$0.52 ₹50.6

301.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.38 ₹36.69

386.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.55 ₹52.9

294.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.56 ₹53.9

83.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.40 ₹38.73

167.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.57 ₹344

14.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.84 ₹660

48.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$0.98 ₹94.5

71.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.77 ₹170

42.94%

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

$4.39 ₹423

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.24 ₹23.15

112.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$17.36 ₹1,674

50.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.13 ₹109

185.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.33 ₹32.23

630.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$2.37 ₹228

36.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.19 ₹115

10.92%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$11.5K ₹1.1M

159.04%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$32.6K ₹3.1M

-27.52%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$24.36 ₹2,349

236.66%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$3.32 ₹320

591.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$10.59 ₹1,022

184.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$19.44 ₹1,875

167.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$4.23 ₹408

338.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$3.27 ₹315

52.29%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$127 ₹12.2K

56.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$1,933 ₹186.4K

176.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$33.55 ₹3,236

6.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$28.75 ₹2,773

40.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$51.4 ₹4,960

53.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$23.99 ₹2,314

270.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$281 ₹27.1K

237.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$251 ₹24.2K

88.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$464 ₹44.7K

254.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$438 ₹42.3K

176.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,157 ₹111.6K

250.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$685 ₹66.1K

844.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$351 ₹33.9K

86.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.47

34.83%

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 Goa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $281 in Goa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 86% 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 $15.00 in Goa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $115 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 116% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $581 including rent). Goa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 86% 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 $281 in Goa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 116% 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 $15.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $581 in Goa versus $1,256 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 116% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.