Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Turk and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Grand Turk: $334 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Grand Turk

🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands

$334

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Grand Turk and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Grand Turk and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $334 in Grand Turk versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Grand Turk $334
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $516 in Grand Turk versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Grand Turk $516
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $697 in Grand Turk versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Grand Turk $697
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Grand Turk costs roughly 72% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Grand Turk 75% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 $19.87

$10.92 MX$204

81.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

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

$1.28 MX$23.90

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 $3.90

$0.78 MX$14.59

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 $12.02

$3.17 MX$59.0

279.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$15.28 $15.28

$4.93 MX$92.0

209.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.22

White Bread (500g)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.22 MX$41.33

64.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.42

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.03

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.50

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$2.12 MX$39.58

207.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.16

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.1

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.52

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.79

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.44 MX$26.92

33.33%

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,035 $8,035

$735 MX$13.7K

993.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Grand Turk: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Grand Turk

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Grand Turk

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Grand Turk

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grand Turk

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Grand Turk

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Grand Turk

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Grand Turk

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Grand Turk pays about 11 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇹🇨 Grand Turk

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

16:52 4:52 PM

1 h behind Grand Turk

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,720

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Grand Turk Playa del Carmen 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Grand Turk
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $334 in Grand Turk and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Grand Turk is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Grand Turk is about 11 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 268% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $334 per month in Grand Turk versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Grand Turk is about 72% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $334 in Grand Turk versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Grand Turk but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Grand Turk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.