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 $1,649 per month in Granada vs $1,262 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,381 per month in Granada vs $2,158 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,112 per month in Granada vs $3,054 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Granada costs about 31% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Granada sits 22% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 €14.59

$11.61 MX$201

47.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.71 €38.04

$42.75 MX$742

4.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.81 €8.35

$10.60 MX$184

-7.45%

Cappuccino

$2.31 €1.96

$3.59 MX$62.3

-35.65%

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

$2.93 €2.49

$1.45 MX$25.21

102.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 €1.96

$0.90 MX$15.58

155.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €2.99

$3.03 MX$52.6

15.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.93

$4.56 MX$79.2

1.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.45 MX$25.20

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 €1.37

$1.83 MX$31.72

-12.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.61 MX$27.92

-6.21%

Eggs

$3.14 €2.67

$2.54 MX$44.05

23.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.14 €13.74

$8.54 MX$148

88.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.33 €7.09

$8.47 MX$147

-1.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 €12.06

$10.86 MX$189

30.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 €2.39

$2.73 MX$47.37

2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 €1.64

$1.49 MX$25.91

28.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.60

$1.94 MX$33.73

-3.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 €2.31

$2.16 MX$37.57

25.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$1.85 MX$32.05

23.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 €2.13

$2.19 MX$38.00

14.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 €1.32

$1.07 MX$18.62

45.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.87

$1.08 MX$18.81

-5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.32 €5.38

$4.06 MX$70.5

55.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.92 €4.18

$10.46 MX$182

-52.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.08

$1.65 MX$28.71

-23.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 €1.72

$2.55 MX$44.23

-20.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 €1.37

$0.56 MX$9.65

185.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.81 €38.99

$26.20 MX$455

74.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.76 €4.90

$3.14 MX$54.5

83.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 €1.04

$2.37 MX$41.17

-48.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.11 €24.77

$3.24 MX$56.2

798.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.47

$1.31 MX$22.81

32.06%

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

$38.5K €32.8K

$30.5K MX$530.2K

26.16%

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

$29.6K €25.2K

$23.8K MX$413.6K

24.38%

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

$158 €135

$83.1 MX$1,443

90.57%

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

$19.82 €16.87

$22.15 MX$385

-10.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.27 €24.06

$29.37 MX$510

-3.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.74 €41.48

$51.2 MX$889

-4.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.66 €11.63

$18.69 MX$324

-26.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.88 €8.41

$4.89 MX$84.9

102.04%

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

$382 €325

$199 MX$3,449

92.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,386 €7,137

$5,207 MX$90.4K

61.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 €62.2

$35.93 MX$624

103.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.78 €28.75

$39.39 MX$684

-14.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 €66.1

$80.3 MX$1,394

-3.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €90.6

$87.6 MX$1,520

21.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 €730

$963 MX$16.7K

-10.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 €584

$482 MX$8,370

42.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 €971

$1,645 MX$28.6K

-30.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$927 €789

$1,192 MX$20.7K

-22.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,512 €2,989

$3,957 MX$68.7K

-11.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 €1,989

$6,513 MX$113.1K

-64.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,931 €1,643

$726 MX$12.6K

165.81%

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: April 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $858 in Granada versus $963 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 166% 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 in Granada versus $43 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $253 – 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 31% 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 $2,474 per month in Granada and $1,894 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 9% 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 $43.00 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 $1,262, than in Granada at $1,649. 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 $1,262 versus $1,649 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.