Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gran Canaria, Canary Islands and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,610 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
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Gran Canaria, Canary Islands Living Index
59

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

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Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,610

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands 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 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,610 per month in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands vs $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $1,610
Playa del Carmen $1,204

A couple spends around $2,368 per month in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands vs $2,102 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $2,368
Playa del Carmen $2,102

A family of three spends $3,126 per month in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands vs $3,000 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands $3,126
Playa del Carmen $3,000

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands costs about 34% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands sits 19% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.81 €13.18

$10.86 MX$201

36.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 €50.8

$44.21 MX$817

29.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.31 €9.17

$11.76 MX$217

-12.33%

Cappuccino

$2.17 €1.93

$3.68 MX$68.0

-41.03%

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

$2.39 €2.12

$1.34 MX$24.79

78.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.51

$0.82 MX$15.24

107.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.03

$3.06 MX$56.6

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 €3.04

$4.94 MX$91.2

-30.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.47 MX$27.17

-19.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.22 MX$40.95

-38.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 €1.48

$1.48 MX$27.32

12.84%

Eggs

$2.89 €2.57

$2.49 MX$45.99

16.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.52 €12.03

$7.52 MX$139

79.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.22 €7.31

$7.96 MX$147

3.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.10 €13.43

$12.57 MX$232

20.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.78 MX$51.3

-9.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 €1.74

$1.43 MX$26.37

37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.62 MX$48.37

-24.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.30

$2.14 MX$39.49

21.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.02 MX$37.38

-14.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.99 MX$36.74

1.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.14 MX$21.01

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 €0.62

$1.20 MX$22.18

-41.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.46 €5.75

$4.26 MX$78.7

51.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €5.10

$10.02 MX$185

-42.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.54 MX$28.41

-22.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.83

$2.66 MX$49.17

-22.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.69 €1.50

$0.53 MX$9.73

218.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.64 €29.92

$27.51 MX$508

22.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 €3.64

$4.90 MX$90.6

-16.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 €1.12

$3.43 MX$63.5

-63.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 €22.26

$5.38 MX$99.4

365.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.45 MX$26.76

21.38%

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

$38.3K €34.1K

$21.2K MX$391.0K

80.97%

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

$30.3K €27.0K

$23.0K MX$425.3K

31.76%

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

$135 €120

$85.4 MX$1,577

57.63%

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

$20.74 €18.45

$23.46 MX$434

-11.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.89 €27.48

$28.43 MX$525

8.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.30 €42.08

$62.2 MX$1,149

-23.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.03 €13.37

$28.68 MX$530

-47.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.02 €8.03

$5.10 MX$94.3

76.86%

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

$413 €367

$201 MX$3,715

105.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,267 €7,353

$3,947 MX$72.9K

109.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.1 €74.8

$44.39 MX$820

89.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.68 €30.84

$41.35 MX$764

-16.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 €77.8

$72.7 MX$1,344

20.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €95.5

$89.6 MX$1,656

19.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 €758

$979 MX$18.1K

-12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 €614

$373 MX$6,887

85.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 €1,161

$1,681 MX$31.1K

-22.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 €903

$1,095 MX$20.2K

-7.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,320 €2,953

$3,949 MX$73.0K

-15.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,366 €2,105

$6,137 MX$113.4K

-61.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$738 MX$13.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.45

-69.43%

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

Last update for Gran Canaria, Canary Islands: October 18, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$690 42.9%

Playa del Carmen

$373 31% 46% $317

Groceries & Markets

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$260 16.2%

Playa del Carmen

$258 21.5% 0.7% $1.9

Eating Out

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$216 13.4%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.6% 7.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$186 11.6%

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4% 26.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$141 8.8%

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3% 20.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$65 4.1%

Playa del Carmen

$72 6% 10.8% $7.1

Getting Around

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

$51 3.2%

Playa del Carmen

$52 4.3% 1.8% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $853 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands versus $979 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands versus $44.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $258 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

19:40 7:40 PM

13:40 1:40 PM

6 h behind Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

862,893

149,923

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands Playa del Carmen 7,200 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
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

Gran Canaria, Canary Islands vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Gran Canaria, Canary Islands is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,414 per month in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $413 per month in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands and $201 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands at $1,610. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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