Cost of Living Comparison Between Gravesend and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Gravesend and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,695 in Gravesend versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,756 in Gravesend versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,818 in Gravesend versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Gravesend is roughly 115% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gravesend is 102% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.47 £10.02

$11.99 MX$210

12.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 £45.11

$41.78 MX$733

45.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 £7.96

$10.75 MX$189

-0.37%

Cappuccino

$4.62 £3.44

$3.50 MX$61.3

32.00%

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

$2.08 £1.55

$1.45 MX$25.41

43.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 £1.00

$0.88 MX$15.52

52.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 £6.19

$2.95 MX$51.7

182.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 £5.12

$4.51 MX$79.1

52.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.43 MX$25.12

-2.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 £0.99

$1.84 MX$32.23

-27.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 £2.14

$1.57 MX$27.51

82.80%

Eggs

$3.17 £2.36

$2.51 MX$44.06

26.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.99 £8.92

$8.28 MX$145

44.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 £7.45

$8.43 MX$148

18.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.99 £8.92

$10.68 MX$187

12.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 £1.81

$2.61 MX$45.76

-6.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.44 MX$25.22

-8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 £2.05

$1.96 MX$34.41

40.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 £2.71

$2.09 MX$36.74

74.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 £0.85

$1.85 MX$32.47

-38.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 £0.68

$2.17 MX$38.02

-58.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.03 MX$18.09

30.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 £0.64

$1.07 MX$18.84

-19.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.72 £15.41

$4.10 MX$72.0

405.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 £8.14

$10.17 MX$178

7.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 £2.04

$1.68 MX$29.38

63.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 £3.11

$2.53 MX$44.31

65.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 £2.42

$0.51 MX$8.93

537.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.8 £57.1

$26.04 MX$457

194.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 £4.87

$3.23 MX$56.7

102.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.41 MX$42.19

-39.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.39 £20.37

$3.23 MX$56.6

747.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.48

$1.32 MX$23.17

50.00%

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

$34.1K £25.3K

$29.7K MX$520.9K

14.76%

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

$43.5K £32.4K

$23.7K MX$415.0K

84.01%

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

$334 £249

$82.0 MX$1,439

307.47%

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

$16.00 £11.90

$22.95 MX$403

-30.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.44 £24.87

$30.11 MX$528

11.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.74 £34.77

$52.0 MX$912

-10.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$16.22 £12.06

$4.98 MX$87.3

225.70%

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

$2,133 £1,586

$197 MX$3,463

980.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K £16.9K

$5,336 MX$93.6K

325.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 £65.3

$35.60 MX$624

146.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 £41.63

$40.33 MX$707

38.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 £64.7

$78.8 MX$1,381

10.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 £92.6

$88.9 MX$1,560

40.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,557 £1,158

$947 MX$16.6K

64.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 £1,000

$474 MX$8,314

183.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,770 £2,060

$1,644 MX$28.8K

68.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,131 £1,585

$1,211 MX$21.2K

76.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$71.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$113.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

11.42

-51.49%

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

Last update for Gravesend: July 11, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,557 in Gravesend and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Gravesend vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $249 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

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

Gravesend and Playa del Carmen differ by about 115% in total monthly costs ($2,695 vs $1,256 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,042 in Gravesend and $1,884 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,557 in Gravesend versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Gravesend. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $61.0 in Gravesend. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,695 in Gravesend, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Gravesend. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 115% less than in Gravesend. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.