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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,073 per month in Grand Bois vs $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,757 per month in Grand Bois vs $2,126 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,442 per month in Grand Bois vs $2,980 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Grand Bois is about 16% cheaper than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Grand Bois and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – Grand Bois 20% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.78 MUR 319

$11.87 MX$204

-42.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.64 MUR 2,102

$42.90 MX$736

4.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 MUR 341

$10.65 MX$183

-32.11%

Cappuccino

$2.67 MUR 126

$3.45 MX$59.2

-22.61%

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

$0.97 MUR 45.61

$1.50 MX$25.81

-35.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.18

$0.95 MX$16.28

-41.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 MUR 103

$3.03 MX$51.9

-28.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 MUR 160

$4.61 MX$79.1

-26.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MUR 77.7

$1.38 MX$23.61

19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.66 MUR 30.88

$1.85 MX$31.70

-64.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 MUR 60.6

$1.61 MX$27.65

-19.88%

Eggs

$2.26 MUR 106

$2.59 MX$44.51

-12.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 MUR 568

$8.26 MX$142

46.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.06 MUR 285

$8.37 MX$144

-27.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MUR 597

$10.66 MX$183

19.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 MUR 94.4

$2.63 MX$45.12

-23.57%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 MUR 94.0

$1.49 MX$25.53

34.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MUR 70.3

$1.92 MX$32.94

-22.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 MUR 128

$2.09 MX$35.81

29.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 MUR 46.30

$1.86 MX$31.88

-47.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 MUR 47.81

$2.26 MX$38.81

-54.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 MUR 40.49

$1.06 MX$18.23

-18.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 MUR 35.41

$1.09 MX$18.67

-31.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 MUR 313

$4.15 MX$71.2

60.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 MUR 391

$10.39 MX$178

-20.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 MUR 82.3

$1.72 MX$29.59

1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 MUR 102

$2.61 MX$44.85

-16.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 MUR 46.76

$0.54 MX$9.30

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 MUR 210

$3.13 MX$53.7

42.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 MUR 125

$2.51 MX$43.09

5.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.00 MUR 942

$3.15 MX$54.1

534.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MUR 66.4

$1.27 MX$21.88

11.02%

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

$36.0K MUR 1.7M

$30.4K MX$521.3K

18.50%

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

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

$23.6K MX$404.5K

23.56%

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

$48.84 MUR 2,300

$83.0 MX$1,425

-41.16%

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

$18.33 MUR 863

$22.71 MX$390

-19.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.91 MUR 1,597

$29.46 MX$506

15.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.87 MUR 1,783

$51.0 MX$875

-25.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$5.90 MUR 278

$4.93 MX$84.5

19.68%

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

$154 MUR 7,229

$197 MX$3,386

-22.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,976 MUR 187.2K

$5,280 MX$90.6K

-24.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 MUR 4,088

$36.90 MX$633

135.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.0 MUR 3,767

$39.89 MX$685

100.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 MUR 6,197

$80.0 MX$1,373

64.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 MUR 4,540

$89.5 MX$1,536

7.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 MUR 24.2K

$956 MX$16.4K

-46.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 MUR 16.3K

$477 MX$8,189

-27.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MUR 44.7K

$1,646 MX$28.3K

-42.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$713 MUR 33.6K

$1,225 MX$21.0K

-41.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.42

-41.59%

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

Last update for Grand Bois: June 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $513 in Grand Bois versus $956 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Grand Bois versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in Grand Bois vs $250 in Playa del Carmen – so Grand Bois wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 18%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,609 per month in Grand Bois and $1,906 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 Grand Bois, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,073 in Grand Bois and $1,271 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $154 per month in Grand Bois and $197 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Grand Bois, where all-in costs run around $1,073, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. In Grand Bois it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Grand Bois – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Grand Bois. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.