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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $597 in Goa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $903 in Goa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,209 in Goa.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 117% more expensive than Goa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Goa 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.41 ₹326

243.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$719

$15.85 ₹1,518

162.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$5.82 ₹558

82.82%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.8

$1.27 ₹122

177.17%

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

$1.51 MX$26.09

$0.35 ₹33.84

331.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.23 ₹22.09

321.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.26 ₹121

134.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.16 ₹303

40.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.90

$0.80 ₹77.0

72.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.69

$0.56 ₹53.7

237.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.29

$1.13 ₹108

45.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.30

$0.93 ₹88.8

169.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$6.80 ₹652

22.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.09 ₹296

169.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$185

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.00

$2.04 ₹196

27.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.18

$0.99 ₹94.7

47.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.84

$1.73 ₹166

9.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.88

$0.58 ₹55.1

258.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.68

$0.41 ₹39.47

334.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.76

$0.55 ₹53.0

298.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.97

$0.56 ₹54.0

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.60

$0.44 ₹41.77

145.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.5

$3.45 ₹330

18.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$7.00 ₹670

47.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.59

$0.95 ₹90.7

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.50

$1.73 ₹166

49.13%

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

$4.44 ₹425

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.22 ₹20.94

131.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$457

$17.73 ₹1,698

49.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.14 ₹110

185.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.05

$0.33 ₹31.93

654.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.1

$2.30 ₹221

41.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.14 ₹109

14.91%

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

$30.3K MX$523.2K

$11.2K ₹1.1M

170.56%

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

$23.4K MX$404.9K

$32.3K ₹3.1M

-27.40%

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

$82.9 MX$1,432

$24.23 ₹2,321

242.01%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$3.38 ₹323

557.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$10.41 ₹997

181.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$892

$19.73 ₹1,890

161.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$4.34 ₹416

322.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.5

$3.42 ₹328

48.25%

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

$201 MX$3,470

$122 ₹11.7K

64.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$1,868 ₹179.0K

178.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$638

$33.10 ₹3,171

11.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$28.63 ₹2,742

38.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,356

$52.1 ₹4,992

50.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,505

$23.43 ₹2,244

271.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$280 ₹26.8K

247.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,082

$252 ₹24.1K

85.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$477 ₹45.7K

243.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$438 ₹42.0K

178.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.2K

$1,159 ₹111.0K

240.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.3K

$695 ₹66.6K

834.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$344 ₹32.9K

93.13%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Goa: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $280 in Goa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 93% 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 Goa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $116 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 117% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $597 including rent). Goa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 93% 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $280 in Goa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 115% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $597 in Goa versus $1,297 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 117% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.