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: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $744 in Goiana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,208 in Goiana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,672 in Goiana.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 73% more expensive than Goiana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Goiana 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$5.74 R$28.64

108.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$36.75 R$183

16.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$6.22 R$31.06

70.26%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.82 R$9.08

98.90%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.21 R$6.05

21.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.61 R$3.04

54.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$1.58 R$7.88

95.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$2.18 R$10.86

104.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.11 R$5.52

28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.25 R$6.24

50.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.04 R$5.21

56.73%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$1.92 R$9.59

37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$6.50 R$32.45

26.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.67 R$18.29

125.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$6.20 R$30.95

79.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.15 R$10.75

23.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$0.86 R$4.31

74.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$0.88 R$4.38

126.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.12 R$5.61

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.99 R$4.96

80.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.00 R$5.00

118.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.52 R$2.61

107.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.51 R$2.57

103.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.66 R$8.27

139.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$7.95 R$39.65

28.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.24 R$6.19

39.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$2.58 R$12.86

-3.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$0.93 R$4.65

-44.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$38.85 R$194

-30.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$0.88 R$4.39

256.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.67 R$3.34

258.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$10.66 R$53.2

-71.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$0.98 R$4.88

29.59%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$21.4K R$106.7K

44.45%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$31.2K R$155.9K

-25.36%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$43.26 R$216

89.57%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$12.59 R$62.8

78.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$18.96 R$94.6

56.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$22.48 R$112

130.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$21.50 R$107

-13.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$6.95 R$34.66

-28.49%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$119 R$592

66.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$4,309 R$21.5K

22.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$60.8 R$304

-40.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$42.87 R$214

-6.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$56.6 R$282

41.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$71.0 R$354

25.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$320 R$1,596

201.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$219 R$1,091

112.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$584 R$2,914

173.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$430 R$2,146

181.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$1,614 R$8,053

144.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,185 R$5,913

444.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$610 R$3,043

18.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-4.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Goiana: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $320 in Goiana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 18% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $37.00 in Goiana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $157 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 73% in total monthly costs ($1,287 vs $744 including rent). Goiana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 18% 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 $320 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 $37.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $744 in Goiana – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $744 in Goiana versus $1,287 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 73% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.