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 $1,057 per month in Grand Bois vs $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,720 per month in Grand Bois vs $2,184 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,382 per month in Grand Bois vs $3,082 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Grand Bois is about 18% 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 21% lower, Playa del Carmen 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.48 MUR 303

$11.94 MX$208

-45.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.53 MUR 2,035

$42.75 MX$744

1.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 MUR 330

$10.59 MX$184

-33.43%

Cappuccino

$2.67 MUR 125

$3.62 MX$63.0

-26.24%

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

$1.04 MUR 48.55

$1.47 MX$25.54

-29.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 MUR 26.00

$0.94 MX$16.41

-40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 MUR 101

$3.09 MX$53.8

-30.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MUR 151

$4.46 MX$77.6

-27.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MUR 79.8

$1.43 MX$24.80

19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 MUR 31.11

$1.88 MX$32.79

-64.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 MUR 62.4

$1.63 MX$28.34

-18.40%

Eggs

$2.27 MUR 106

$2.64 MX$45.99

-14.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.97 MUR 560

$8.21 MX$143

45.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.28 MUR 294

$8.29 MX$144

-24.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.88 MUR 602

$11.10 MX$193

16.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 MUR 97.0

$2.65 MX$46.14

-21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 MUR 90.0

$1.50 MX$26.11

28.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 MUR 67.3

$1.99 MX$34.59

-27.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 MUR 123

$2.08 MX$36.13

26.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 MUR 48.19

$1.79 MX$31.11

-42.46%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 MUR 43.42

$2.18 MX$37.87

-57.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 MUR 39.38

$1.08 MX$18.73

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MUR 35.97

$1.04 MX$18.04

-25.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 MUR 314

$3.97 MX$69.1

69.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.46 MUR 395

$10.20 MX$178

-17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MUR 81.5

$1.73 MX$30.04

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 MUR 102

$2.50 MX$43.46

-12.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 MUR 46.81

$0.52 MX$9.02

92.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 MUR 202

$3.14 MX$54.7

37.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 MUR 128

$2.40 MX$41.80

13.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.74 MUR 923

$3.09 MX$53.7

538.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 MUR 66.2

$1.27 MX$22.16

11.81%

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

$35.2K MUR 1.6M

$30.9K MX$537.3K

13.83%

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

$29.0K MUR 1.4M

$23.3K MX$405.7K

24.38%

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

$50.1 MUR 2,343

$82.0 MX$1,427

-38.89%

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

$18.64 MUR 871

$22.45 MX$391

-16.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.63 MUR 1,572

$29.66 MX$516

13.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.82 MUR 1,768

$51.9 MX$903

-27.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$6.13 MUR 286

$4.97 MX$86.5

23.34%

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

$157 MUR 7,331

$198 MX$3,442

-20.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,944 MUR 184.4K

$5,273 MX$91.7K

-25.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 MUR 3,923

$36.34 MX$632

130.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$78.2 MUR 3,656

$40.05 MX$697

95.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MUR 6,124

$79.9 MX$1,390

64.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 MUR 4,384

$88.9 MX$1,547

5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MUR 23.9K

$963 MX$16.8K

-46.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$346 MUR 16.2K

$465 MX$8,086

-25.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 MUR 44.0K

$1,596 MX$27.8K

-41.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$732 MUR 34.2K

$1,209 MX$21.0K

-39.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Grand Bois 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Grand Bois versus $43.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $232 in Grand Bois vs $251 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 22%, 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 $1,586 per month in Grand Bois and $1,930 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 $1,057 in Grand Bois and $1,287 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $157 per month in Grand Bois and $198 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 $1,057, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.