Cost of Living Comparison Between Granada and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Granada and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,685 per month in Granada vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,362 per month in Granada vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,038 per month in Granada vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Granada costs about 30% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Granada sits 26% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 €14.75

$11.73 MX$203

46.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.61 €38.41

$41.62 MX$719

7.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 €8.67

$10.64 MX$184

-5.36%

Cappuccino

$2.34 €2.02

$3.52 MX$60.8

-33.52%

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

$2.86 €2.46

$1.51 MX$26.09

89.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 €1.89

$0.97 MX$16.82

126.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 €3.07

$2.95 MX$51.0

21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 €3.86

$4.45 MX$77.0

0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.01

$1.38 MX$23.90

-15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 €1.40

$1.89 MX$32.69

-13.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.64 MX$28.29

-10.37%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.70

$2.51 MX$43.30

25.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.22 €13.97

$8.34 MX$144

94.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.17 €7.03

$8.34 MX$144

-2.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 €12.31

$10.73 MX$185

33.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.33

$2.60 MX$45.00

4.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$1.46 MX$25.18

26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.90 MX$32.84

Tomato (1kg)

$2.83 €2.44

$2.08 MX$35.88

36.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.78 MX$30.68

29.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 €2.24

$2.19 MX$37.76

18.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.04 MX$17.97

54.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.88

$1.08 MX$18.60

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 €5.47

$4.08 MX$70.5

55.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 €4.16

$10.32 MX$178

-53.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.09

$1.71 MX$29.59

-26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$2.58 MX$44.50

-24.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.51 MX$8.81

221.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.71 €39.35

$26.46 MX$457

72.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.94 €5.12

$3.26 MX$56.4

82.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 €1.06

$2.49 MX$43.05

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.05 €25.01

$3.25 MX$56.1

793.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.31 MX$22.59

31.30%

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

$38.1K €32.8K

$30.3K MX$523.2K

25.69%

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

$30.5K €26.2K

$23.4K MX$404.9K

30.09%

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

$157 €135

$82.9 MX$1,432

89.20%

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

$20.16 €17.36

$22.22 MX$384

-9.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.61 €23.77

$29.34 MX$507

-5.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.02 €41.34

$51.6 MX$892

-6.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.10 €12.14

$18.32 MX$317

-23.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.90 €8.52

$5.07 MX$87.5

95.27%

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

$369 €318

$201 MX$3,470

83.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,326 €7,168

$5,212 MX$90.1K

59.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.3 €63.1

$36.92 MX$638

98.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.48 €28.82

$39.79 MX$688

-15.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 €68.9

$78.5 MX$1,356

2.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 €93.5

$87.1 MX$1,505

24.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$842 €725

$973 MX$16.8K

-13.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 €572

$468 MX$8,082

42.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 €988

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-30.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 €772

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-26.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,485 €3,001

$3,946 MX$68.2K

-11.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,302 €1,981

$6,498 MX$112.3K

-64.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,923 €1,655

$664 MX$11.5K

189.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.55

11.42

-68.91%

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

Last update for Granada: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $842 in Granada versus $973 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 run about 190% higher in Granada, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Granada versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $249 – 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

Granada vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Granada costs about 30% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,528 per month in Granada and $1,945 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.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Granada, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Granada and $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Granada at $1,685. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Granada it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,297 versus $1,685 in Granada. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Granada makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.