Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grenada and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,413 in Grenada, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Grenada outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Grenada, Grenada
Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Grenada
🇬🇩 Grenada
$1,413
/mo nomad
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Grenada 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 Grenada and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,413 in Grenada versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Grenada $1,413
  • Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,046 in Grenada versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Grenada $2,046
  • Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,680 in Grenada versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

  • Grenada $2,680
  • Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Grenada is roughly 17% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grenada is 4% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Grenada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.92 EC$32.18
$10.92 MX$205
9.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.16 EC$122
$43.37 MX$814
4.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.49 EC$22.91
$11.78 MX$221
-27.93%
Cappuccino
$2.77 EC$7.47
$3.81 MX$71.5
-27.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 EC$5.66
$1.28 MX$24.07
64.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.46 EC$3.94
$0.78 MX$14.70
87.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.90 EC$5.13
$3.17 MX$59.5
-40.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.75 EC$10.14
$4.93 MX$92.7
-23.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Grenada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$4.46 EC$12.05
$1.41 MX$26.40
216.31%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 EC$5.10
$2.22 MX$41.62
-14.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 EC$5.25
$1.42 MX$26.61
36.62%
Eggs
$4.15 EC$11.19
$2.52 MX$47.36
64.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$7.26 MX$136
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$7.70 MX$144
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.43 EC$52.5
$12.69 MX$238
53.11%
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.78 MX$52.3
-
Banana (1kg)
-
$1.37 MX$25.68
-
Oranges (1kg)
-
$2.55 MX$47.89
-
Tomato (1kg)
-
$2.12 MX$39.86
-
Potato (1kg)
$8.08 EC$21.81
$1.94 MX$36.39
316.49%
Onion (1kg)
-
$1.89 MX$35.41
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 EC$5.06
$1.15 MX$21.53
62.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.63 EC$9.81
$1.18 MX$22.13
207.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.69 EC$15.36
$4.30 MX$80.6
32.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.18 EC$30.18
$9.95 MX$187
12.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 EC$3.96
$1.58 MX$29.73
-6.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.93 EC$7.90
$2.67 MX$50.1
9.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Grenada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.52 EC$4.09
$0.55 MX$10.39
176.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.92 EC$129
$26.62 MX$500
80.02%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.51 EC$17.59
$4.97 MX$93.3
30.99%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$3.33 MX$62.5
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.44 EC$25.50
$5.36 MX$101
76.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 EC$3.59
$1.44 MX$27.11
-7.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$20.7K MX$388.0K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.6K EC$44.9K
$23.5K MX$440.5K
-29.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grenada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$207 EC$559
$84.8 MX$1,592
144.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$45.07 EC$122
$23.41 MX$439
92.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$48.97 EC$132
$28.66 MX$538
70.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Grenada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.98 EC$89.1
$57.1 MX$1,071
-42.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.65 EC$44.97
$28.91 MX$543
-42.41%
Cinema Ticket
$8.98 EC$24.26
$5.14 MX$96.5
74.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Grenada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$207 MX$3,878
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$3,927 MX$73.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Grenada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$43.35 MX$814
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$41.44 MX$778
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$74.2 MX$1,393
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$89.3 MX$1,676
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Grenada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$668 EC$1,804
$980 MX$18.4K
-31.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$558 EC$1,507
$381 MX$7,150
46.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,185 EC$3,200
$1,708 MX$32.1K
-30.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$914 EC$2,469
$1,075 MX$20.2K
-14.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$3,943 MX$74.0K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,158 MX$115.6K
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Grenada
Playa del Carmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$445 EC$1,202
$735 MX$13.8K
-39.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8
11.45
-30.13%

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

Last update for Grenada: October 27, 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
Grenada
–
Playa del Carmen
$381
Groceries & Markets
Grenada
–
Playa del Carmen
$255
Eating Out
Grenada
–
Playa del Carmen
$202
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Grenada
–
Playa del Carmen
$137
Clothing & Footwear
Grenada
–
Playa del Carmen
$112
Sport & Entertainment
Grenada
–
Playa del Carmen
$67
Getting Around
Grenada
–
Playa del Carmen
$50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Grenada and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45 in Grenada vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇩 Grenada
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🕒 Local time
11:49 11:49 AM
10:49 10:49 AM
1 h behind Grenada
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Grenada Playa del Carmen 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Grenada
  • 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
Grenada vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Grenada and in Playa del Carmen?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,413 in Grenada and $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, so Playa del Carmen is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Grenada. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Grenada and in Playa del Carmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $668 in Grenada versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $45 in Grenada. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Grenada or Playa del Carmen?
All in, you’ll spend $1,413 per month in Grenada versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How does quality of life compare between Grenada 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.

Grenada vs other spots: cost of living compared

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