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: $2,027 in Grez-Doiceau versus $1,259 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,039 in Grez-Doiceau versus $2,177 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,050 in Grez-Doiceau versus $3,095 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Grez-Doiceau is roughly 61% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grez-Doiceau is 52% above, Playa del Carmen is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.41 €20.51

$11.95 MX$208

95.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.1 €80.7

$41.94 MX$730

119.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 €10.71

$10.42 MX$181

17.27%

Cappuccino

$4.22 €3.70

$3.51 MX$61.2

20.23%

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

$3.32 €2.91

$1.52 MX$26.39

118.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 €2.75

$0.91 MX$15.84

243.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €4.99

$3.04 MX$52.9

87.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 €4.03

$4.37 MX$76.1

5.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.16

$1.42 MX$24.73

-7.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 €2.54

$1.83 MX$31.87

58.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 €2.12

$1.63 MX$28.45

48.47%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.54

$2.54 MX$44.20

59.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.34 €15.19

$8.57 MX$149

102.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.37 €9.96

$8.49 MX$148

33.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.23 €18.60

$10.80 MX$188

96.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.32

$2.75 MX$47.94

-3.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.44 MX$25.00

64.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 €2.08

$1.89 MX$32.83

25.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.47

$2.17 MX$37.77

29.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 €1.92

$1.78 MX$30.97

23.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 €1.89

$2.22 MX$38.71

-2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.07 MX$18.60

33.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.77

$1.08 MX$18.79

-18.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.90 €11.30

$4.15 MX$72.2

210.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.50 €7.44

$10.45 MX$182

-18.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.74 MX$30.34

0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 €1.75

$2.58 MX$44.92

-22.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 €2.49

$0.51 MX$8.94

456.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.3 €50.2

$25.94 MX$451

120.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.83 €5.10

$3.21 MX$55.9

81.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 €2.12

$2.50 MX$43.55

-3.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.95 €33.25

$3.19 MX$55.4

1089.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.26 MX$21.87

45.24%

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

$33.1K €29.0K

$29.7K MX$516.6K

11.35%

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

$30.9K €27.1K

$23.7K MX$412.1K

30.52%

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

$209 €183

$82.0 MX$1,427

154.31%

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

$25.30 €22.16

$22.73 MX$395

11.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 €44.66

$29.42 MX$512

73.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.34 €33.59

$52.2 MX$908

-26.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.76 €14.69

$18.45 MX$321

-9.16%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 €13.25

$4.93 MX$85.9

206.90%

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

$603 €528

$202 MX$3,511

198.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K €11.7K

$5,217 MX$90.8K

155.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €91.5

$35.93 MX$625

190.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.63 €42.60

$40.33 MX$702

20.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €93.2

$79.9 MX$1,390

33.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 €137

$89.3 MX$1,554

75.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$907 €794

$948 MX$16.5K

-4.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 €670

$465 MX$8,097

64.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 €1,169

$1,630 MX$28.4K

-18.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 €963

$1,193 MX$20.8K

-7.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,421 €2,997

$3,933 MX$68.4K

-13.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,891 €2,533

$6,428 MX$111.9K

-55.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,019 €2,645

$658 MX$11.5K

358.59%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $907 in Grez-Doiceau and $948 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grez-Doiceau pays 359% 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 $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 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 359% higher in Grez-Doiceau, 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: $907 in Grez-Doiceau versus $948 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 $92.0 in Grez-Doiceau. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,027 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 61% less than in Grez-Doiceau. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.