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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,330 in Playa del Carmen versus $833 in Goiana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,336 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,310 in Goiana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,341 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,787 in Goiana.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 60% more expensive than in Goiana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Goiana 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.02 MX$221

$5.24 R$27.22

148.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.25 MX$784

$36.30 R$188

27.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.59 MX$213

$9.79 R$50.9

28.60%

Cappuccino

$4.00 MX$67.9

$2.49 R$12.91

60.64%

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

$1.42 MX$24.08

$0.99 R$5.15

43.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$13.73

$0.58 R$3.01

39.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 MX$51.7

$1.53 R$7.92

99.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 MX$116

$3.00 R$15.59

127.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.04

$1.34 R$6.94

27.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$37.62

$1.57 R$8.16

41.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.13

$1.54 R$7.98

11.69%

Eggs

$2.71 MX$45.99

$2.05 R$10.65

32.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.37 MX$159

$6.88 R$35.71

36.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 MX$150

$4.31 R$22.39

105.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 MX$217

$6.75 R$35.06

89.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.0

$1.37 R$7.12

128.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.24

$1.28 R$6.66

21.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.51

$0.75 R$3.90

186.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.35 MX$39.89

$1.19 R$6.16

97.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.23

$1.41 R$7.34

43.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.67

$1.08 R$5.59

84.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.09

$0.47 R$2.44

163.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$20.21

$0.88 R$4.58

35.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.65 MX$78.8

$1.71 R$8.86

171.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.47 MX$177

$7.63 R$39.61

37.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$26.82

$1.09 R$5.68

44.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 MX$49.48

$1.47 R$7.63

98.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.56 MX$9.53

$0.86 R$4.44

-34.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

$38.45 R$200

-22.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.32 MX$90.2

$1.20 R$6.25

343.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.72 MX$63.0

$0.72 R$3.72

416.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.9

$3.37 R$17.52

71.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.27

$1.00 R$5.20

55.00%

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

$22.4K MX$379.1K

$22.8K R$118.6K

-2.09%

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

$25.6K MX$433.3K

$31.1K R$161.6K

-17.82%

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

$89.3 MX$1,513

$74.9 R$389

19.15%

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

$23.30 MX$395

$12.91 R$67.1

80.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.72 MX$538

$16.69 R$86.7

90.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,165

$26.81 R$139

156.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

$23.88 R$124

23.12%

Cinema Ticket

$5.06 MX$85.7

$8.03 R$41.67

-36.99%

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

$222 MX$3,765

$226 R$1,176

-1.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,293 MX$72.7K

$11.4K R$59.1K

-62.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.21 MX$783

$44.54 R$231

3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 MX$753

$48.05 R$250

-7.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.5 MX$1,618

$60.6 R$314

57.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 MX$1,568

$78.9 R$410

17.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,069 MX$18.1K

$312 R$1,618

243.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,663

$213 R$1,105

84.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 MX$33.7K

$595 R$3,089

234.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 MX$22.1K

$448 R$2,328

190.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

$1,798 R$9,338

124.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

$1,148 R$5,962

477.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$747 MX$12.7K

$592 R$3,076

26.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

11.75

-1.28%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Last update for Goiana: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,069 in Playa del Carmen and $312 in Goiana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 26% 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: $46.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Goiana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $172 per month, with Goiana 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 Goiana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Goiana differ by about 60% in total monthly costs ($1,330 vs $833 including rent). Goiana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $1,069 in Playa del Carmen versus $312 in Goiana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Goiana – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,330 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $833 in Goiana – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $833 in Goiana versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Goiana but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Goiana 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 Goiana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.