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: $2,040 in Grez-Doiceau versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,105 in Grez-Doiceau versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,170 in Grez-Doiceau versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Grez-Doiceau is roughly 57% more expensive than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grez-Doiceau is 52% above, Playa del Carmen is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.71 €19.70

$11.73 MX$205

93.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €79.9

$41.62 MX$727

121.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 €10.71

$10.64 MX$186

16.07%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.61

$3.52 MX$61.5

18.18%

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

$3.36 €2.91

$1.51 MX$26.37

122.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.74

$0.97 MX$17.00

224.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.73

$2.95 MX$51.5

84.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.07

$4.45 MX$77.8

5.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.16

$1.38 MX$24.16

-2.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 €2.48

$1.89 MX$33.04

51.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$1.64 MX$28.59

55.49%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.57

$2.51 MX$43.76

64.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.26 €14.98

$8.34 MX$146

106.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.40 €9.89

$8.34 MX$146

36.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.57 €18.71

$10.73 MX$187

101.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.27

$2.60 MX$45.48

0.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.46 MX$25.45

60.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 €1.99

$1.90 MX$33.19

21.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.87 €2.49

$2.08 MX$36.26

37.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.83

$1.78 MX$31.01

18.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.19 MX$38.16

-2.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.26

$1.04 MX$18.16

39.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.76

$1.08 MX$18.80

-18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.70 €11.02

$4.08 MX$71.3

211.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.25 €7.16

$10.32 MX$180

-20.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.71 MX$29.90

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.76

$2.58 MX$44.98

-21.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 €2.55

$0.51 MX$8.90

476.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.1 €49.52

$26.46 MX$462

115.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.06

$3.26 MX$57.0

78.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 €2.11

$2.49 MX$43.51

-2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.33 €33.26

$3.25 MX$56.7

1079.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.59

$1.31 MX$22.83

39.69%

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

$33.2K €28.8K

$30.3K MX$528.8K

9.75%

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

$31.3K €27.2K

$23.4K MX$409.2K

33.71%

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

$207 €180

$82.9 MX$1,447

149.97%

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

$24.99 €21.68

$22.22 MX$388

12.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 €43.98

$29.34 MX$512

72.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.17 €33.99

$51.6 MX$902

-24.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.85 €14.62

$18.32 MX$320

-8.02%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 €13.03

$5.07 MX$88.5

196.25%

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

$620 €538

$201 MX$3,507

208.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K €11.7K

$5,212 MX$91.0K

157.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €92.1

$36.92 MX$645

187.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.40 €42.86

$39.79 MX$695

24.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €95.2

$78.5 MX$1,370

39.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 €139

$87.1 MX$1,521

84.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$888 €770

$973 MX$17.0K

-8.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 €665

$468 MX$8,169

63.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 €1,183

$1,641 MX$28.7K

-16.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 €936

$1,221 MX$21.3K

-11.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,993 €3,464

$3,946 MX$68.9K

1.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,000 €2,603

$6,498 MX$113.5K

-53.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,973 €2,579

$664 MX$11.6K

347.76%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $888 in Grez-Doiceau and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grez-Doiceau pays 348% 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: $92.0 in Grez-Doiceau vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 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

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 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Grez-Doiceau pays 348% 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: $888 in Grez-Doiceau versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% 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 $92.0 in Grez-Doiceau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,040 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 57% less than in Grez-Doiceau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.