Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Gwann and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $2,037 in San Gwann, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Gwann, Malta
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
San Gwann
🇲🇹 Malta
$2,037
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Gwann and in Playa del Carmen

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

A single person spends $2,037 per month in San Gwann vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • San Gwann $2,037
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $3,105 per month in San Gwann vs $2,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • San Gwann $3,105
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

A family of three spends $4,172 per month in San Gwann vs $2,959 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

  • San Gwann $4,172
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

San Gwann costs about 69% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

San Gwann sits 50% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Gwann
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.53 €19.30
$10.92 MX$205
97.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$68.0 €61.0
$43.37 MX$815
56.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.44 €12.05
$11.78 MX$221
14.09%
Cappuccino
$2.91 €2.60
$3.81 MX$71.6
-23.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.86
$1.28 MX$24.10
61.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.11 €1.00
$0.78 MX$14.71
42.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.54 €4.07
$3.17 MX$59.5
43.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.52 €4.05
$4.93 MX$92.7
-8.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Gwann
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 €1.17
$1.41 MX$26.43
-7.09%
White Bread (500g)
$1.40 €1.25
$2.22 MX$41.66
-36.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.58 €3.21
$1.42 MX$26.64
152.11%
Eggs
$4.22 €3.78
$2.52 MX$47.41
67.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.21 €9.15
$7.26 MX$137
40.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.76 €10.54
$7.70 MX$145
52.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.66 €15.83
$12.69 MX$239
39.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.89 €3.48
$2.78 MX$52.3
39.93%
Banana (1kg)
$2.76 €2.47
$1.37 MX$25.71
101.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.93 €3.52
$2.55 MX$47.94
54.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.66 €3.28
$2.12 MX$39.90
72.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.94 MX$36.43
-4.12%
Onion (1kg)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.89 MX$35.44
16.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.18 €1.96
$1.15 MX$21.55
89.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 €1.40
$1.18 MX$22.16
32.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.37 €5.71
$4.30 MX$80.7
48.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.44 €4.87
$9.95 MX$187
-45.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 €2.15
$1.58 MX$29.76
51.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 €2.14
$2.67 MX$50.2
-10.86%
🚌 Getting Around
San Gwann
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.25 €2.02
$0.55 MX$10.40
309.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.65 €13.13
$26.62 MX$500
-44.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.89 €3.48
$4.97 MX$93.4
-21.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.81 €1.62
$3.33 MX$62.6
-45.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.04 €28.71
$5.36 MX$101
497.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 €1.33
$1.44 MX$27.14
2.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K €24.5K
$20.7K MX$388.4K
32.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K €30.2K
$23.5K MX$441.0K
43.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Gwann
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 €103
$84.8 MX$1,594
35.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.72 €27.53
$23.41 MX$440
31.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.87 €32.14
$28.66 MX$539
25.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Gwann
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.5 €50.7
$57.1 MX$1,072
-0.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.36 €16.45
$28.91 MX$543
-36.49%
Cinema Ticket
$9.97 €8.93
$5.14 MX$96.6
93.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Gwann
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$281 €252
$207 MX$3,882
36.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.1K €9,972
$3,927 MX$73.8K
183.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Gwann
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.3 €48.63
$43.35 MX$815
25.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.3 €55.8
$41.44 MX$779
50.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.6 €71.3
$74.2 MX$1,394
7.22%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 €114
$89.3 MX$1,677
42.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Gwann
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 €1,083
$980 MX$18.4K
23.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$969 €868
$381 MX$7,157
154.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,283 €2,045
$1,708 MX$32.1K
33.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,660 €1,487
$1,075 MX$20.2K
54.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,659 €5,071
$3,943 MX$74.1K
43.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,828 €2,534
$6,158 MX$115.7K
-54.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Gwann
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,745 €1,563
$735 MX$13.8K
137.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.05
11.45
-64.63%

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

Last update for San Gwann: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Gwann
$969
Playa del Carmen
$381 60.7% $588
Groceries & Markets
San Gwann
$336
Playa del Carmen
$255 24.1% $81
Eating Out
San Gwann
$292
Playa del Carmen
$202 30.7% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Gwann
$182
Playa del Carmen
$137 24.8% $45
Clothing & Footwear
San Gwann
$145
Playa del Carmen
$112 23.2% $34
Sport & Entertainment
San Gwann
$76
Playa del Carmen
$67 12% $9.1
Getting Around
San Gwann
$37
Playa del Carmen
$50 38% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in San Gwann versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in San Gwann are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in San Gwann versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $255 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇹 San Gwann
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
07:19 7:19 AM
01:19 1:19 AM
6 h behind San Gwann
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
12,523
149,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Gwann Playa del Carmen 9,660 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Gwann
  • Playa del Carmen

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
San Gwann vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Playa del Carmen cheaper than San Gwann?
Yes – San Gwann is pricier by about 69%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,056 per month in San Gwann and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $980 there versus $1,208 in San Gwann.
What are total monthly expenses in San Gwann and in Playa del Carmen?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,037 in San Gwann and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen. That makes Playa del Carmen about 41% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 45% less in San Gwann. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in San Gwann or in Playa del Carmen?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in San Gwann at $2,037. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Gwann it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is San Gwann or Playa del Carmen more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Gwann makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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