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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,228 in Griffith versus $1,260 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,236 in Griffith versus $2,125 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,243 in Griffith versus $2,990 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Griffith is roughly 77% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Griffith is 67% above, Playa del Carmen is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.14 A$22.90

$11.72 MX$203

37.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 A$110

$41.89 MX$725

84.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.03 A$14.24

$10.51 MX$182

-4.57%

Cappuccino

$3.35 A$4.75

$3.59 MX$62.0

-6.69%

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

$2.62 A$3.72

$1.51 MX$26.10

73.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 A$2.96

$0.92 MX$15.83

127.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.39 A$9.06

$2.96 MX$51.2

115.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 A$9.87

$4.41 MX$76.3

57.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$1.40 MX$24.16

6.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 A$3.30

$1.88 MX$32.60

23.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.79

$1.56 MX$26.97

26.28%

Eggs

$4.29 A$6.09

$2.61 MX$45.14

64.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 A$11.90

$8.32 MX$144

0.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 A$11.68

$8.35 MX$145

-1.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.82 A$19.61

$10.86 MX$188

27.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.65

$2.71 MX$46.93

21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.90

$1.51 MX$26.04

82.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.27

$1.87 MX$32.41

60.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 A$5.75

$2.19 MX$37.89

84.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.51

$1.86 MX$32.14

32.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 A$2.95

$2.23 MX$38.59

-6.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 A$2.95

$1.07 MX$18.48

94.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 A$2.15

$1.09 MX$18.79

39.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.30 A$44.41

$4.19 MX$72.4

647.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.80 A$22.42

$10.43 MX$180

51.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.56 A$6.47

$1.66 MX$28.68

174.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.43

$2.61 MX$45.19

100.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 A$3.79

$0.54 MX$9.37

394.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 A$92.7

$26.16 MX$453

149.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 A$5.21

$3.08 MX$53.3

19.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.21

$2.40 MX$41.61

-35.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.01 A$46.84

$3.13 MX$54.1

954.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.67

$1.31 MX$22.69

-9.92%

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

$28.5K A$40.5K

$29.8K MX$515.7K

-4.29%

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

$22.1K A$31.4K

$23.3K MX$403.5K

-5.26%

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

$184 A$261

$81.3 MX$1,406

126.71%

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

$27.25 A$38.67

$22.56 MX$390

20.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.2 A$74.0

$30.05 MX$520

73.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.03 A$69.6

$52.9 MX$915

-7.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.55 A$22.06

$18.39 MX$318

-15.44%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 A$18.48

$4.92 MX$85.1

164.63%

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

$1,657 A$2,351

$201 MX$3,474

724.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K A$17.4K

$5,175 MX$89.5K

136.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.7 A$96.1

$35.92 MX$622

88.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 A$72.4

$40.13 MX$694

27.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.6 A$140

$79.7 MX$1,379

23.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$153

$86.5 MX$1,496

24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 A$1,784

$978 MX$16.9K

28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,532

$470 MX$8,140

129.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 A$2,913

$1,651 MX$28.6K

24.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 A$2,346

$1,203 MX$20.8K

37.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,934 A$8,419

$3,953 MX$68.4K

50.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,559 A$7,888

$6,607 MX$114.3K

-15.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

11.42

-44.48%

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

Last update for Griffith: July 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,258 in Griffith and $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Griffith vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 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

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

Griffith and Playa del Carmen differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($2,228 vs $1,260 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 $3,343 in Griffith and $1,890 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: $1,258 in Griffith versus $978 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 150% less than in Griffith. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,657 in Griffith versus $201 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,228 in Griffith, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Griffith. 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.

Safety-wise, Griffith 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 77% less than in Griffith. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.