Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Bay and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Bay and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,154 in Grand Bay versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,299 in Grand Bay versus $2,184 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,444 in Grand Bay versus $3,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Grand Bay costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Grand Bay 14% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.95 MUR 372

$11.94 MX$209

-33.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.84 MUR 2,285

$42.75 MX$748

14.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.69 MUR 313

$10.59 MX$185

-36.83%

Cappuccino

$2.54 MUR 119

$3.62 MX$63.4

-29.83%

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

$0.97 MUR 45.47

$1.47 MX$25.69

-34.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.19

$0.94 MX$16.51

-40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 MUR 157

$3.09 MX$54.1

9.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MUR 155

$4.46 MX$78.0

-25.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 MUR 62.5

$1.43 MX$24.94

-6.29%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 MUR 32.96

$1.88 MX$32.97

-62.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.1

$1.63 MX$28.50

-18.40%

Eggs

$2.31 MUR 108

$2.64 MX$46.26

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$33.35 MUR 1,561

$8.21 MX$144

306.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.25 MUR 293

$8.29 MX$145

-24.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.54 MUR 1,055

$11.10 MX$194

103.06%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 MUR 81.1

$2.65 MX$46.40

-34.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 MUR 90.0

$1.50 MX$26.26

28.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 MUR 69.4

$1.99 MX$34.79

-25.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.66 MUR 125

$2.08 MX$36.33

27.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.47

$1.79 MX$31.29

-44.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 46.74

$2.18 MX$38.09

-54.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.78 MUR 36.53

$1.08 MX$18.84

-27.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 MUR 20.47

$1.04 MX$18.15

-57.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 MUR 304

$3.97 MX$69.5

63.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 MUR 402

$10.20 MX$179

-15.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MUR 80.9

$1.73 MX$30.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 MUR 78.2

$2.50 MX$43.71

-33.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 MUR 50.7

$0.52 MX$9.07

107.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 MUR 212

$3.14 MX$55.0

44.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 MUR 123

$2.40 MX$42.04

9.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.71 MUR 922

$3.09 MX$54.0

537.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 MUR 68.7

$1.27 MX$22.28

15.75%

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

$35.3K MUR 1.7M

$30.9K MX$540.4K

14.25%

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

$29.0K MUR 1.4M

$23.3K MX$408.0K

24.25%

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

$50.4 MUR 2,360

$82.0 MX$1,435

-38.50%

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

$15.37 MUR 719

$22.45 MX$393

-31.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.60 MUR 1,479

$29.66 MX$519

6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MUR 2,799

$51.9 MX$908

15.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MUR 289

$4.97 MX$87.0

24.55%

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

$155 MUR 7,273

$198 MX$3,462

-21.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,851 MUR 367.3K

$5,273 MX$92.3K

48.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 MUR 2,616

$36.34 MX$636

53.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.3 MUR 3,571

$40.05 MX$701

90.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MUR 5,400

$79.9 MX$1,398

44.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.1 MUR 3,982

$88.9 MX$1,555

-4.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$616 MUR 28.8K

$963 MX$16.9K

-36.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 MUR 16.4K

$465 MX$8,133

-24.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 MUR 62.2K

$1,596 MX$27.9K

-16.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,542 MUR 72.1K

$1,209 MX$21.2K

27.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,327 MUR 62.1K

$720 MX$12.6K

84.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

11.42

-43.08%

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

Last update for Grand Bay: April 28, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $616 in Grand Bay and $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Grand Bay vs $43.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $251 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

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

Grand Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Grand Bay pays 84% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $616 in Grand Bay versus $963 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $155 in Grand Bay versus $198 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Grand Bay – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,154 in Grand Bay versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Grand Bay but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Grand Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Grand Bay is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Grand Bay and Playa del Carmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Grand Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.