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: $1,199 in Grand Bay versus $1,330 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,326 in Grand Bay versus $2,336 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,454 in Grand Bay versus $3,341 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Grand Bay costs roughly 10% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Grand Bay 12% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.37 MUR 296

$13.02 MX$221

-51.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.7 MUR 3,009

$46.25 MX$784

39.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 MUR 343

$12.59 MX$213

-41.38%

Cappuccino

$2.73 MUR 127

$4.00 MX$67.9

-31.75%

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

$1.06 MUR 49.30

$1.42 MX$24.08

-25.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MUR 27.25

$0.81 MX$13.73

-27.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MUR 147

$3.05 MX$51.7

3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 MUR 224

$6.82 MX$116

-29.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 MUR 62.0

$1.71 MX$29.04

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 MUR 35.96

$2.22 MX$37.62

-65.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 MUR 54.5

$1.72 MX$29.13

-31.98%

Eggs

$2.52 MUR 117

$2.71 MX$45.99

-7.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.83 MUR 968

$9.37 MX$159

122.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.97 MUR 417

$8.86 MX$150

1.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.18 MUR 984

$12.78 MX$217

65.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 MUR 88.7

$3.13 MX$53.0

-38.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 MUR 99.2

$1.55 MX$26.24

37.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.0

$2.15 MX$36.51

-33.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 MUR 133

$2.35 MX$39.89

21.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 MUR 44.03

$2.02 MX$34.23

-52.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 43.46

$1.99 MX$33.67

-53.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 MUR 35.01

$1.24 MX$21.09

-39.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MUR 28.51

$1.19 MX$20.21

-48.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 MUR 310

$4.65 MX$78.8

43.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 MUR 389

$10.47 MX$177

-20.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MUR 79.3

$1.58 MX$26.82

8.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 MUR 96.7

$2.92 MX$49.48

-28.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 MUR 46.94

$0.56 MX$9.53

80.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 MUR 196

$5.32 MX$90.2

-20.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 MUR 115

$3.72 MX$63.0

-33.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.15 MUR 983

$5.78 MX$97.9

265.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MUR 61.9

$1.55 MX$26.27

-14.19%

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

$35.0K MUR 1.6M

$22.4K MX$379.1K

56.31%

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

$36.6K MUR 1.7M

$25.6K MX$433.3K

42.96%

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

$45.30 MUR 2,106

$89.3 MX$1,513

-49.26%

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

$16.09 MUR 748

$23.30 MX$395

-30.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.60 MUR 1,376

$31.72 MX$538

-6.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.3 MUR 2,708

$68.8 MX$1,165

-15.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.40 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MUR 303

$5.06 MX$85.7

28.66%

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

$130 MUR 6,057

$222 MX$3,765

-41.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,661 MUR 356.2K

$4,293 MX$72.7K

78.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 MUR 2,769

$46.21 MX$783

28.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 MUR 3,018

$44.43 MX$753

46.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MUR 4,949

$95.5 MX$1,618

11.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 MUR 4,126

$92.5 MX$1,568

-4.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$609 MUR 28.3K

$1,069 MX$18.1K

-43.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$453 MUR 21.1K

$393 MX$6,663

15.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,052 MUR 95.4K

$1,988 MX$33.7K

3.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 MUR 68.2K

$1,304 MX$22.1K

12.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,037 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,627 MX$112.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,300 MUR 60.4K

$747 MX$12.7K

74.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.6

-48.28%

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

Last update for Grand Bay: August 16, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $609 in Grand Bay and $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Bay pays 74% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Grand Bay vs $46.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $277 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, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 74% higher in Grand Bay, 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: $609 in Grand Bay versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $130 in Grand Bay versus $222 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 $65.0 versus $46.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,199 in Grand Bay versus $1,330 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.