Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Guatemala City Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Guatemala City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,211 in Guatemala City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,920 in Guatemala City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,629 in Guatemala City.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 4% more expensive than in Guatemala City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Guatemala City 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$5.23 Q 39.87

129.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$50.9 Q 388

-17.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.24 Q 47.54

72.28%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$3.31 Q 25.19

5.74%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.22 Q 9.26

18.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.93 Q 7.09

-5.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$3.33 Q 25.37

-11.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$4.48 Q 34.15

0.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.05 Q 15.59

-30.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$3.17 Q 24.12

-41.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.05 Q 15.62

-23.41%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.54 Q 19.33

-1.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$7.77 Q 59.2

6.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$8.59 Q 65.5

-1.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$11.59 Q 88.3

-7.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$3.58 Q 27.28

-27.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.52 Q 11.57

-5.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$3.15 Q 23.98

-37.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.84 Q 14.04

13.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.77 Q 13.46

4.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$2.36 Q 18.00

-8.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.74 Q 5.61

39.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.22 Q 9.31

-12.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.66 Q 27.88

12.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.11 Q 61.8

25.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.59 Q 12.15

5.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.53 Q 19.24

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.27 Q 9.69

-59.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$13.43 Q 102

93.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$5.19 Q 39.53

-37.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.60 Q 4.54

301.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$15.92 Q 121

-79.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.08 Q 8.21

22.22%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$19.6K Q 149.6K

51.23%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$24.8K Q 189.2K

-4.73%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$80.4 Q 612

2.05%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$26.23 Q 200

-12.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$48.76 Q 372

-38.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$48.46 Q 369

7.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$24.54 Q 187

-24.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.16 Q 54.5

-30.45%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$249 Q 1,895

-20.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,758 Q 43.9K

-7.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$51.0 Q 388

-30.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$53.3 Q 406

-24.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$119 Q 903

-33.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$120 Q 912

-25.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$717 Q 5,464

32.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$429 Q 3,269

10.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$1,372 Q 10.5K

19.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$760 Q 5,791

59.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,016 Q 15.4K

101.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,093 Q 8,327

491.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$862 Q 6,566

-24.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

8.9

28.31%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Guatemala City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $717 in Guatemala City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guatemala City pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $51.0 in Guatemala City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $277 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Guatemala City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala City wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guatemala City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Guatemala City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $717 in Guatemala City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Guatemala City – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,211 in Guatemala City – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,211 in Guatemala City versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guatemala City but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Guatemala City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guatemala City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,211 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guatemala City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guatemala City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.