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: $2,567 in Griffith versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Griffith versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,830 in Griffith versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Griffith is roughly 103% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Griffith is 88% above, Playa del Carmen is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.77 A$25.06

$11.60 MX$200

53.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.1 A$134

$47.11 MX$812

101.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 A$14.82

$11.88 MX$205

-11.53%

Cappuccino

$4.21 A$5.93

$3.98 MX$68.6

5.78%

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

$3.26 A$4.59

$1.43 MX$24.60

127.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 A$3.21

$0.82 MX$14.22

176.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.91 A$12.56

$3.19 MX$55.0

179.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 A$9.81

$6.79 MX$117

2.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 A$2.59

$1.68 MX$28.89

8.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 A$4.40

$2.20 MX$37.88

41.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.51

$1.71 MX$29.45

45.61%

Eggs

$4.90 A$6.91

$2.74 MX$47.26

78.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.93 A$12.59

$9.58 MX$165

-6.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 A$13.39

$9.01 MX$155

5.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.23 A$18.66

$12.81 MX$221

3.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 A$5.37

$2.89 MX$49.81

31.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.66

$1.50 MX$25.81

120.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.09 A$4.36

$2.15 MX$37.03

43.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 A$6.59

$2.26 MX$38.96

107.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.53

$1.98 MX$34.15

26.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 A$3.96

$1.99 MX$34.30

40.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 A$3.16

$1.23 MX$21.28

82.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 A$2.51

$1.20 MX$20.63

48.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.21 A$53.9

$4.55 MX$78.5

739.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.40 A$20.31

$10.37 MX$179

38.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.17 A$7.29

$1.62 MX$27.91

219.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 A$7.17

$2.88 MX$49.67

76.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.25 A$4.58

$0.60 MX$10.35

441.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.4 A$125

$28.80 MX$497

207.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 A$5.78

$5.39 MX$92.9

-23.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 A$2.54

$3.73 MX$64.3

-51.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.32 A$54.1

$5.77 MX$99.5

564.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 A$1.95

$1.54 MX$26.48

-10.39%

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

$29.9K A$42.2K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

32.58%

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

$28.9K A$40.8K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

11.07%

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

$198 A$279

$91.4 MX$1,576

116.24%

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

$26.88 A$37.91

$25.20 MX$435

6.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 A$89.8

$31.24 MX$539

103.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 A$78.0

$67.2 MX$1,159

-17.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.92 A$22.46

$29.11 MX$502

-45.31%

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 A$20.84

$4.86 MX$83.8

204.12%

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

$1,889 A$2,663

$224 MX$3,856

744.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.0K A$31.0K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

419.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.5 A$125

$47.10 MX$812

87.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 A$79.4

$44.29 MX$764

27.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$170

$80.1 MX$1,381

50.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$169

$92.7 MX$1,598

28.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,555 A$2,193

$1,063 MX$18.3K

46.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 A$1,582

$390 MX$6,728

187.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,202 A$3,106

$2,149 MX$37.1K

2.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 A$2,381

$1,272 MX$21.9K

32.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,997 A$8,458

$4,001 MX$69.0K

49.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,980 A$7,024

$6,502 MX$112.1K

-23.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.87

11.45

-48.73%

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

Last update for Griffith: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,555 in Griffith and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95.0 in Griffith vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $376 vs $276 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 103% in total monthly costs ($2,567 vs $1,266 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 $3,851 in Griffith and $1,899 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: $1,555 in Griffith versus $1,063 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 207% less than in Griffith. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,889 in Griffith versus $224 in Playa del Carmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,567 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 103% less than in Griffith. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.