Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Goma

For one person, living is cheaper in Goma: $430 a month against $1,210 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,210

/mo nomad

Goma

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Goma

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Goma actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,210 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $430 in Goma, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,210
Goma $430

A couple spends around $2,113 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $751 in Goma, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,113
Goma $751

A family of three spends $3,016 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,071 in Goma, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $3,016
Goma $1,071

Playa del Carmen costs about 182% more than Goma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Playa del Carmen and Goma are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 10% lower, Goma 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$199

$14.95 CDF 33.9K

-28.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.03 MX$795

$45.52 CDF 103.1K

-5.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 MX$218

$10.19 CDF 23.1K

15.70%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$71.4

$3.51 CDF 7,960

10.26%

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

$1.37 MX$25.29

$1.03 CDF 2,331

33.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.44

$1.01 CDF 2,292

-16.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 MX$57.3

$1.19 CDF 2,685

160.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 MX$93.6

$5.03 CDF 11.4K

0.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.55

$0.98 CDF 2,211

46.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 MX$41.23

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 MX$27.17

$1.22 CDF 2,758

20.49%

Eggs

$2.53 MX$46.71

$1.60 CDF 3,625

58.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$135

$6.03 CDF 13.7K

21.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.86 MX$145

$2.57 CDF 5,814

205.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 MX$236

$5.02 CDF 11.4K

154.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MX$53.6

$1.97 CDF 4,470

47.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.53

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.07

$1.52 CDF 3,448

67.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$38.03

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$0.51 CDF 1,165

292.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$37.07

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$22.02

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$23.23

$0.69 CDF 1,552

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$81.4

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$177

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.41

$2.02 CDF 4,567

-21.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 MX$51.9

$2.52 CDF 5,698

11.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.47

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.82 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MX$92.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$64.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.40 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$27.08

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

$21.0K MX$387.8K

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

$23.9K MX$441.8K

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

$84.2 MX$1,556

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

$23.99 MX$443

$14.71 CDF 33.3K

63.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.02 MX$536

$60.4 CDF 136.9K

-51.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 MX$1,164

$30.38 CDF 68.8K

107.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.14 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$4.94 MX$91.3

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

$204 MX$3,763

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,941 MX$72.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.60 MX$806

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.12 MX$797

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.8 MX$1,400

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,637

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 MX$18.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 MX$6,911

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,944 MX$72.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,169 MX$114.0K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 10, 2026

Last update for Goma: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$374 30.9%

Goma

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.4%

Goma

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.7%

Goma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.3%

Goma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$113 9.3%

Goma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$73 6%

Goma

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$53 4.3%

Goma

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $46.00 in Goma. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Playa del Carmen vs $108 in Goma – so Goma wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇨🇩 Goma

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

13:29 1:29 PM

7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

2,000,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Goma 12,800 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Goma

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Goma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 182% more than Goma, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,816 per month in Playa del Carmen and $645 in Goma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,210 in Playa del Carmen and $430 in Goma. That's a gap of about 182%.

Groceries cost about 140% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Goma, where all-in costs run around $430, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,210. In Goma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Goma costs $430 versus $1,210 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Goma. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.