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: $1,164 in Grand Bay versus $1,294 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,299 in Grand Bay versus $2,189 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,433 in Grand Bay versus $3,084 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 13% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.88 MUR 371

$11.73 MX$202

-32.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.73 MUR 2,294

$41.78 MX$719

16.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 MUR 314

$10.41 MX$179

-35.93%

Cappuccino

$2.66 MUR 125

$3.61 MX$62.1

-26.32%

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

$1.01 MUR 47.46

$1.46 MX$25.06

-30.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 MUR 28.43

$0.97 MX$16.70

-38.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 MUR 159

$2.92 MX$50.3

16.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 MUR 154

$4.62 MX$79.5

-29.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 MUR 59.7

$1.43 MX$24.59

-11.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.70 MUR 32.89

$1.90 MX$32.70

-63.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 MUR 59.4

$1.57 MX$26.95

-19.75%

Eggs

$2.32 MUR 109

$2.64 MX$45.34

-12.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.84 MUR 1,546

$8.44 MX$145

289.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 MUR 289

$8.58 MX$148

-28.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.06 MUR 1,038

$11.00 MX$189

100.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 MUR 85.1

$2.70 MX$46.51

-32.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 MUR 92.0

$1.51 MX$25.92

29.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 MUR 68.1

$1.91 MX$32.93

-24.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 MUR 127

$2.17 MX$37.37

24.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MUR 48.35

$1.87 MX$32.25

-44.92%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 MUR 46.40

$2.23 MX$38.43

-55.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 MUR 37.26

$1.08 MX$18.60

-26.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 MUR 22.09

$1.07 MX$18.47

-56.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 MUR 318

$4.16 MX$71.6

62.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.70 MUR 410

$10.29 MX$177

-15.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MUR 80.6

$1.68 MX$28.95

1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 MUR 78.7

$2.53 MX$43.59

-33.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 MUR 50.6

$0.55 MX$9.53

96.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.29 MX$452

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.34 MUR 204

$3.20 MX$55.0

35.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 MUR 124

$2.46 MX$42.37

6.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.64 MUR 925

$3.20 MX$55.0

513.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MUR 66.8

$1.32 MX$22.72

7.58%

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

$35.1K MUR 1.7M

$30.2K MX$518.8K

16.51%

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

$28.8K MUR 1.4M

$23.4K MX$402.5K

23.29%

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

$49.59 MUR 2,334

$81.4 MX$1,400

-39.04%

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

$15.44 MUR 727

$22.41 MX$386

-31.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.51 MUR 1,483

$29.97 MX$516

5.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 MUR 2,876

$51.6 MX$887

18.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$316

Cinema Ticket

$6.19 MUR 292

$5.16 MX$88.9

19.96%

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

$155 MUR 7,281

$202 MX$3,471

-23.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,039 MUR 378.5K

$5,311 MX$91.4K

51.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 MUR 2,548

$35.61 MX$613

51.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.8 MUR 3,660

$40.37 MX$695

92.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 MUR 5,493

$78.6 MX$1,353

48.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 MUR 3,943

$86.9 MX$1,495

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$625 MUR 29.4K

$950 MX$16.3K

-34.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MUR 16.9K

$478 MX$8,227

-25.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,301 MUR 61.3K

$1,621 MX$27.9K

-19.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 MUR 72.2K

$1,223 MX$21.0K

25.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,009 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,473 MX$111.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,320 MUR 62.1K

$673 MX$11.6K

96.17%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $625 in Grand Bay and $950 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 96% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $254 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 96% 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: $625 in Grand Bay versus $950 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 $202 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,164 in Grand Bay versus $1,294 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.