Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand-Gaube and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand-Gaube and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,050 in Grand-Gaube versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,734 in Grand-Gaube versus $2,334 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,418 in Grand-Gaube versus $3,362 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Grand-Gaube costs roughly 20% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Grand-Gaube 24% lower, Playa del Carmen 5% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Grand-Gaube
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.99 MUR 280
$11.96 MX$203
-49.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.05 MUR 1,781
$47.38 MX$804
-19.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.57 MUR 354
$11.75 MX$199
-35.57%
Cappuccino
$2.58 MUR 121
$4.12 MX$70.0
-37.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 MUR 52.7
$1.40 MX$23.74
-19.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.62 MUR 28.92
$0.91 MX$15.48
-31.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 MUR 125
$3.21 MX$54.4
-16.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.65 MUR 217
$7.07 MX$120
-34.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Grand-Gaube
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.61 MUR 75.6
$1.68 MX$28.44
-4.17%
White Bread (500g)
$0.72 MUR 33.92
$2.15 MX$36.48
-66.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.15 MUR 53.7
$1.77 MX$30.10
-35.03%
Eggs
$2.68 MUR 126
$2.82 MX$47.76
-4.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.23 MUR 245
$9.20 MX$156
-43.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.55 MUR 306
$9.23 MX$157
-29.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.23 MUR 525
$12.64 MX$214
-11.16%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 MUR 128
$2.95 MX$50.1
-7.46%
Banana (1kg)
$2.66 MUR 125
$1.58 MX$26.79
68.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 MUR 67.8
$2.22 MX$37.70
-34.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.05 MUR 143
$2.36 MX$40.09
29.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.01 MUR 47.49
$1.99 MX$33.81
-49.25%
Onion (1kg)
$0.95 MUR 44.49
$1.98 MX$33.58
-52.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.70 MUR 32.71
$1.24 MX$21.04
-43.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 MUR 42.37
$1.21 MX$20.55
-24.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.65 MUR 311
$4.60 MX$78.1
44.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.65 MUR 405
$10.52 MX$178
-17.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.69 MUR 79.0
$1.69 MX$28.70
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 MUR 109
$2.77 MX$47.06
-15.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Grand-Gaube
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.60 MX$10.22
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$29.70 MX$504
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.30 MUR 201
$5.24 MX$88.8
-17.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.26 MUR 153
$3.65 MX$61.9
-10.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.42 MUR 1,002
$5.78 MX$98.1
270.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 MUR 64.2
$1.54 MX$26.09
-11.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.3K MUR 1.7M
$22.8K MX$386.8K
59.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.7K MUR 1.4M
$25.8K MX$437.9K
18.90%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grand-Gaube
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$45.47 MUR 2,128
$90.7 MX$1,538
-49.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.57 MUR 495
$25.19 MX$427
-58.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.00 MUR 1,357
$31.75 MX$539
-8.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Grand-Gaube
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.43 MUR 1,612
$68.8 MX$1,167
-49.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$29.37 MX$498
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.30 MUR 295
$4.86 MX$82.5
29.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Grand-Gaube
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$128 MUR 5,982
$226 MX$3,828
-43.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,830 MUR 366.5K
$4,194 MX$71.1K
86.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Grand-Gaube
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.2 MUR 3,707
$47.38 MX$804
67.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$75.3 MUR 3,525
$43.45 MX$737
73.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$120 MUR 5,598
$80.2 MX$1,361
49.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.8 MUR 3,686
$91.4 MX$1,550
-13.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Grand-Gaube
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$587 MUR 27.5K
$1,086 MX$18.4K
-45.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$396 MUR 18.5K
$409 MX$6,933
-3.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MUR 51.2K
$1,972 MX$33.5K
-44.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$866 MUR 40.5K
$1,281 MX$21.7K
-32.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,046 MX$68.6K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,704 MX$113.7K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Grand-Gaube
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$773 MX$13.1K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
11.45
-41.75%

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

Last update for Grand-Gaube: September 7, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $587 in Grand-Gaube and $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Grand-Gaube vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $278 per month, with Grand-Gaube 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-Gaube vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Grand-Gaube and in Playa del Carmen?
Grand-Gaube and Playa del Carmen differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,050 vs $1,305 including rent). Grand-Gaube is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Grand-Gaube compared to Playa del Carmen?
You'd need roughly $1,575 in Grand-Gaube and $1,958 in Playa del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Grand-Gaube and in Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $587 in Grand-Gaube versus $1,086 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Grand-Gaube or Playa del Carmen?
All in, you'll spend $1,050 per month in Grand-Gaube versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,050 in Grand-Gaube versus $1,305 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Grand-Gaube but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Grand-Gaube the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Grand-Gaube and Playa del Carmen?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Grand-Gaube or Playa del Carmen safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Grand-Gaube 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.
Where should expats move: Grand-Gaube or Playa del Carmen?
Expats usually find Grand-Gaube gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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