Cost of Living Comparison Between Grez-Doiceau and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Grez-Doiceau and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,056 in Grez-Doiceau versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,114 in Grez-Doiceau versus $2,130 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,171 in Grez-Doiceau versus $2,999 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Grez-Doiceau is roughly 63% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grez-Doiceau is 53% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.75 €19.40

$11.67 MX$202

94.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.3 €79.6

$41.88 MX$726

122.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 €10.28

$10.40 MX$180

15.87%

Cappuccino

$4.11 €3.51

$3.61 MX$62.6

13.85%

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

$3.42 €2.92

$1.47 MX$25.45

132.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.71

$0.91 MX$15.80

249.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 €4.61

$3.03 MX$52.6

78.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 €3.94

$4.47 MX$77.4

3.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.38 MX$23.83

-4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 €2.39

$1.84 MX$31.93

52.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$1.61 MX$27.82

56.52%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.37

$2.57 MX$44.52

53.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.24 €14.70

$8.49 MX$147

103.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 €9.77

$8.49 MX$147

34.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.07 €17.97

$10.99 MX$190

91.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 €2.22

$2.73 MX$47.25

-4.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.02

$1.50 MX$25.92

58.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 €1.99

$1.96 MX$33.93

19.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 €2.56

$2.12 MX$36.70

41.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.80

$1.86 MX$32.30

13.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.81

$2.17 MX$37.67

-2.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 €1.19

$1.07 MX$18.59

30.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 €0.82

$1.05 MX$18.18

-8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.52 €10.68

$4.19 MX$72.6

198.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.94

$10.28 MX$178

-20.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.67 MX$28.87

4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 €1.71

$2.49 MX$43.12

-19.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 €2.44

$0.54 MX$9.37

429.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.6 €47.45

$26.27 MX$455

111.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.84 €4.98

$3.10 MX$53.8

88.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 €2.07

$2.46 MX$42.66

-1.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.75 €32.20

$3.24 MX$56.1

1065.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.26 MX$21.83

50.00%

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

$33.9K €28.9K

$30.2K MX$522.8K

12.28%

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

$30.9K €26.3K

$23.4K MX$406.3K

31.70%

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

$205 €175

$84.0 MX$1,456

144.30%

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

$25.28 €21.57

$22.21 MX$385

13.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 €44.32

$29.65 MX$514

75.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.35 €32.71

$52.6 MX$912

-27.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.65 €14.20

$18.34 MX$318

-9.21%

Cinema Ticket

$15.33 €13.08

$4.95 MX$85.7

209.70%

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

$607 €518

$198 MX$3,438

206.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K €11.7K

$5,322 MX$92.2K

157.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €91.2

$35.95 MX$623

197.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.92 €41.72

$40.06 MX$694

22.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €93.2

$78.8 MX$1,365

38.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 €134

$86.5 MX$1,499

82.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 €773

$977 MX$16.9K

-7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$753 €642

$471 MX$8,158

59.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 €1,136

$1,595 MX$27.6K

-16.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 €951

$1,215 MX$21.1K

-8.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,273 €2,792

$4,032 MX$69.9K

-18.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,449 €2,089

$6,579 MX$114.0K

-62.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,071 €2,619

$714 MX$12.4K

329.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.42

11.42

-70.05%

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

Last update for Grez-Doiceau: April 19, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Grez-Doiceau and $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grez-Doiceau pays 330% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $93 in Grez-Doiceau vs $42 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $252 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

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

Playa del Carmen is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Grez-Doiceau pays 330% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $906 in Grez-Doiceau versus $977 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Grez-Doiceau. 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 $93.0 in Grez-Doiceau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,261 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,056 in Grez-Doiceau, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Grez-Doiceau. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Playa del Carmen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Grez-Doiceau, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Grez-Doiceau 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Grez-Doiceau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.