Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gordon Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gordon Town

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,239 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,048 in Gordon Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,168 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,705 in Gordon Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,096 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,362 in Gordon Town, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% more than Gordon Town, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Gordon Town are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 8% lower, Gordon Town 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.17 MX$202

$16.09 JMD 2,543

-30.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.61 MX$806

$75.8 JMD 12.0K

-41.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 MX$215

$8.62 JMD 1,362

38.17%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$68.9

$5.19 JMD 820

-26.59%

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

$1.38 MX$24.86

$1.15 JMD 182

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$14.39

$0.68 JMD 107

17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$56.3

$2.27 JMD 358

37.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MX$89.8

$3.19 JMD 504

55.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$27.30

$4.20 JMD 664

-64.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 MX$40.59

$3.68 JMD 581

-38.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.23

$1.65 JMD 261

-8.48%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.52

$3.47 JMD 549

-29.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.50 MX$136

$11.66 JMD 1,842

-35.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 MX$146

$6.30 JMD 995

28.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 MX$236

$10.23 JMD 1,617

27.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MX$51.2

$6.11 JMD 966

-53.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$26.66

$3.98 JMD 629

-63.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MX$48.68

$7.59 JMD 1,199

-64.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.58

$3.10 JMD 490

-32.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$35.36

$3.15 JMD 498

-37.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.34

$2.63 JMD 416

-23.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$21.87

$3.17 JMD 500

-61.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 MX$22.24

$1.46 JMD 231

-15.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MX$80.7

$9.72 JMD 1,535

-54.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 MX$180

$11.58 JMD 1,830

-13.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$29.49

$2.93 JMD 463

-44.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MX$50.6

$4.06 JMD 641

-31.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MX$10.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.28 MX$511

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 MX$87.7

$1.23 JMD 195

294.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$63.2

$3.20 JMD 506

9.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 MX$102

$6.42 JMD 1,014

-11.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.31

$1.34 JMD 212

8.96%

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

$21.4K MX$386.7K

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

-51.75%

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

$24.0K MX$433.6K

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

-26.80%

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

$86.3 MX$1,560

$173 JMD 27.3K

-50.07%

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

$23.96 MX$433

$29.87 JMD 4,719

-19.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.93 MX$523

$53.1 JMD 8,390

-45.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 MX$1,168

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.07 MX$525

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 MX$92.7

$13.19 JMD 2,084

-61.11%

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

$211 MX$3,820

$363 JMD 57.4K

-41.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.1K

$8,095 JMD 1.3M

-50.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 MX$799

$23.55 JMD 3,720

87.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.35 MX$784

$31.40 JMD 4,961

38.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 MX$1,390

$79.1 JMD 12.5K

-2.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,598

$102 JMD 16.1K

-13.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 MX$18.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 MX$6,843

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 MX$31.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 MX$20.4K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 MX$72.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,392 MX$115.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$768 MX$13.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.45

21.16%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 27, 2026

Last update for Gordon Town: September 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $76.0 in Gordon Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $388 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Gordon Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 18%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,859 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,571 in Gordon Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $76.0 in Gordon Town. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 47% cheaper in Playa del Carmen – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gordon Town, where all-in costs run around $1,048, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,239. In Gordon Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gordon Town – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Gordon Town. 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.