Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gros Islet and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,437 in Gros Islet, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Gros Islet

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,437

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Gros Islet and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Gros Islet and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,437 in Gros Islet versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

Gros Islet $1,437
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,145 in Gros Islet versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Gros Islet $2,145
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,853 in Gros Islet versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

Gros Islet $2,853
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in Gros Islet is roughly 19% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gros Islet is 6% above, Playa del Carmen is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.55 EC$20.38

$10.92 MX$205

-30.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.2 EC$160

$43.37 MX$815

36.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.52 EC$25.70

$11.78 MX$221

-19.19%

Cappuccino

$4.48 EC$12.10

$3.81 MX$71.6

17.59%

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

$1.88 EC$5.08

$1.28 MX$24.10

46.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 EC$4.86

$0.78 MX$14.71

130.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 EC$7.29

$3.17 MX$59.5

-14.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 EC$10.23

$4.93 MX$92.7

-23.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.56 EC$6.91

$1.41 MX$26.43

81.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 EC$4.63

$2.22 MX$41.66

-22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 EC$5.19

$1.42 MX$26.64

35.21%

Eggs

$4.96 EC$13.38

$2.52 MX$47.41

96.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.64 EC$34.12

$7.26 MX$137

74.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.39 EC$41.56

$7.70 MX$145

99.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.27 EC$41.23

$12.69 MX$239

20.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 EC$16.10

$2.78 MX$52.3

114.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 EC$4.44

$1.37 MX$25.71

20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 EC$6.16

$2.55 MX$47.94

-10.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 EC$5.84

$2.12 MX$39.90

1.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 EC$5.85

$1.94 MX$36.43

11.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 EC$5.87

$1.89 MX$35.44

14.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.48 EC$14.80

$1.15 MX$21.55

376.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 EC$4.93

$1.18 MX$22.16

55.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.04 EC$16.31

$4.30 MX$80.7

40.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 EC$40.45

$9.95 MX$187

50.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.76

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 EC$12.16

$2.67 MX$50.2

68.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 EC$2.59

$0.55 MX$10.40

74.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.4

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.14

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

$32.8K EC$88.6K

$20.7K MX$388.4K

58.84%

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

$44.0K EC$118.7K

$23.5K MX$441.0K

87.38%

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

$236 EC$636

$84.8 MX$1,594

177.98%

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

$38.33 EC$104

$23.41 MX$440

63.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 EC$148

$28.66 MX$539

90.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.68 EC$121

$57.1 MX$1,072

-21.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 EC$19.29

$5.14 MX$96.6

39.11%

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

$207 MX$3,882

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.76 EC$50.7

$43.35 MX$815

-56.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$11.26 EC$30.39

$41.44 MX$779

-72.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 EC$201

$74.2 MX$1,394

0.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.9 EC$197

$89.3 MX$1,677

-18.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$599 EC$1,617

$980 MX$18.4K

-38.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 EC$1,088

$381 MX$7,157

5.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$974 EC$2,629

$1,708 MX$32.1K

-43.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 EC$1,730

$1,075 MX$20.2K

-40.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$754 EC$2,035

$735 MX$13.8K

2.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Gros Islet: October 25, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Gros Islet

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

Gros Islet

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

Gros Islet

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gros Islet

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Gros Islet

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Gros Islet

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

Gros Islet

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $599 in Gros Islet and $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gros Islet pays 3% 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: $59 in Gros Islet vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $255 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇨 Gros Islet

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

23:16 11:16 PM

1 h behind Gros Islet

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,660

149,923

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.332 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.332 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Gros Islet Playa del Carmen 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Gros Islet
Playa del Carmen

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Gros Islet. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,155 in Gros Islet and $1,806 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: $599 in Gros Islet versus $980 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,437 per month in Gros Islet versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Gros Islet. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Playa del Carmen wins on affordability, Gros Islet on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.