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: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $731 in Goiana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,210 in Goiana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,688 in Goiana.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 74% more expensive than Goiana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Goiana 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$5.71 R$28.90

107.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$35.83 R$181

19.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$6.11 R$30.95

74.30%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$1.78 R$9.01

93.82%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.19 R$6.01

26.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.62 R$3.15

53.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$1.64 R$8.28

84.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.19 R$11.10

110.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.10 R$5.57

25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.20 R$6.06

54.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.06 R$5.34

51.89%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$1.90 R$9.62

36.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$6.60 R$33.40

25.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$3.71 R$18.77

125.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.13 R$31.05

73.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.07 R$10.50

27.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$0.88 R$4.44

69.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$0.87 R$4.41

120.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.15 R$5.83

81.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.98 R$4.95

89.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.00 R$5.05

126.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.55 R$2.79

92.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.56 R$2.82

94.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$1.61 R$8.15

157.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$7.88 R$39.92

31.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.27 R$6.45

35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.58 R$13.05

1.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.94 R$4.77

-42.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

$38.11 R$193

-29.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$0.88 R$4.44

255.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.62 R$3.13

304.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$10.66 R$54.0

-70.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$0.92 R$4.64

38.04%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$21.9K R$111.1K

38.38%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$30.5K R$154.3K

-22.66%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$43.95 R$222

88.85%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$12.42 R$62.9

82.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$18.56 R$94.0

58.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$22.80 R$115

123.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

$21.89 R$111

-16.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$6.95 R$35.21

-29.06%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$117 R$591

69.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,395 R$22.2K

20.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$59.7 R$302

-38.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$43.17 R$219

-7.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$56.5 R$286

41.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$73.1 R$370

22.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$312 R$1,578

206.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$219 R$1,111

117.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$584 R$2,958

181.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$424 R$2,148

188.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$1,495 R$7,568

162.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$1,103 R$5,584

485.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$592 R$2,996

12.69%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Goiana: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $312 in Goiana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 13% 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 $36.00 in Goiana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $158 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 74% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $731 including rent). Goiana is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Playa del Carmen pays 13% 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: $956 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 $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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $731 in Goiana – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $731 in Goiana versus $1,271 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 74% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.