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: $1,262 in Playa del Carmen versus $593 in Goa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,158 in Playa del Carmen versus $908 in Goa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,054 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,224 in Goa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 113% more expensive than Goa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Goa 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.61 MX$201

$3.41 ₹317

240.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$742

$15.40 ₹1,429

177.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 MX$184

$5.89 ₹547

79.97%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.3

$1.28 ₹119

180.47%

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

$1.45 MX$25.21

$0.39 ₹35.94

271.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.58

$0.21 ₹19.43

328.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.26 ₹117

140.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 MX$79.2

$3.11 ₹289

46.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.20

$0.75 ₹69.2

93.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$31.72

$0.61 ₹56.3

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.92

$1.14 ₹105

41.23%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.05

$0.92 ₹85.8

176.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.54 MX$148

$6.60 ₹613

29.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.47 MX$147

$3.08 ₹286

175.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.37

$2.13 ₹198

28.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.91

$0.99 ₹91.9

50.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.73

$1.72 ₹160

12.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.57

$0.52 ₹48.62

315.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.05

$0.39 ₹36.18

374.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.00

$0.55 ₹51.1

298.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.62

$0.57 ₹52.7

87.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.81

$0.44 ₹40.52

145.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.5

$3.58 ₹332

13.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.46 MX$182

$6.82 ₹633

53.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.71

$0.99 ₹92.3

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 MX$44.23

$1.81 ₹168

40.88%

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

$4.62 ₹429

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.65

$0.24 ₹22.34

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.20 MX$455

$17.58 ₹1,631

49.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.5

$1.18 ₹110

166.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 MX$41.17

$0.34 ₹31.18

597.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.2

$2.35 ₹218

37.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.81

$1.20 ₹112

9.17%

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

$30.5K MX$530.2K

$11.2K ₹1.0M

171.89%

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

$23.8K MX$413.6K

$31.9K ₹3.0M

-25.39%

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

$83.1 MX$1,443

$24.31 ₹2,255

242.00%

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

$22.15 MX$385

$3.20 ₹297

592.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.37 MX$510

$10.33 ₹959

184.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.2 MX$889

$19.57 ₹1,816

161.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 MX$324

$4.18 ₹388

347.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 MX$84.9

$3.41 ₹317

43.40%

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

$199 MX$3,449

$125 ₹11.6K

58.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,207 MX$90.4K

$1,934 ₹179.4K

169.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$624

$32.67 ₹3,032

9.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.39 MX$684

$29.01 ₹2,692

35.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 MX$1,394

$51.4 ₹4,771

56.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.6 MX$1,520

$24.24 ₹2,249

261.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.7K

$275 ₹25.5K

250.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$8,370

$255 ₹23.6K

89.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 MX$28.6K

$462 ₹42.9K

256.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 MX$20.7K

$450 ₹41.7K

165.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,957 MX$68.7K

$1,166 ₹108.2K

239.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,513 MX$113.1K

$693 ₹64.3K

840.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$726 MX$12.6K

$343 ₹31.9K

111.60%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Goa: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $275 in Goa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 112% 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: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $15 in Goa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 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 113% in total monthly costs ($1,262 vs $593 including rent). Goa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 112% 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $275 in Goa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 120% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $593 in Goa versus $1,262 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 113% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.