Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,744 per month in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria vs $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,636 per month in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria vs $2,181 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,528 per month in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria vs $3,065 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria costs about 34% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria sits 30% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.20 €10.51

$11.73 MX$203

4.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 €49.95

$41.62 MX$721

39.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 €9.12

$10.64 MX$184

-0.38%

Cappuccino

$2.28 €1.96

$3.52 MX$61.0

-35.23%

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

$2.11 €1.82

$1.51 MX$26.17

39.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.07

$0.97 MX$16.87

28.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.95 MX$51.1

-4.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 €3.71

$4.45 MX$77.2

-3.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.38 MX$23.97

-10.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.83

$1.89 MX$32.78

12.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.77

$1.64 MX$28.37

25.61%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.91

$2.51 MX$43.42

34.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.76 €10.13

$8.34 MX$145

41.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.28 €8.85

$8.34 MX$145

23.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.70 €14.38

$10.73 MX$186

55.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 €2.17

$2.60 MX$45.12

-3.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.46 MX$25.25

69.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.90 MX$32.94

20.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.16

$2.08 MX$35.98

20.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$1.78 MX$30.77

22.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$2.19 MX$37.87

20.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 €1.60

$1.04 MX$18.02

77.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.76

$1.08 MX$18.66

-17.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 €3.87

$4.08 MX$70.7

10.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 €6.10

$10.32 MX$179

-31.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.71 MX$29.67

-9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 €3.32

$2.58 MX$44.63

49.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.51 MX$8.83

225.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.51 €14.21

$26.46 MX$459

-37.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 €2.94

$3.26 MX$56.5

4.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 €1.10

$2.49 MX$43.17

-48.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.52 €20.25

$3.25 MX$56.3

623.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.44

$1.31 MX$22.65

28.24%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$30.3K MX$524.7K

27.43%

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

$29.8K €25.6K

$23.4K MX$406.0K

27.10%

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

$81.3 €70.0

$82.9 MX$1,436

-1.86%

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

$21.11 €18.17

$22.22 MX$385

-5.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 €25.36

$29.34 MX$508

0.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 €45.52

$51.6 MX$895

2.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.13 €16.47

$18.32 MX$317

4.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$5.07 MX$87.8

81.07%

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

$520 €448

$201 MX$3,480

158.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,497 €5,594

$5,212 MX$90.3K

24.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.3

$36.92 MX$640

177.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.0 €45.67

$39.79 MX$689

33.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.1

$78.5 MX$1,360

36.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €127

$87.1 MX$1,509

69.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 €854

$973 MX$16.9K

2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 €713

$468 MX$8,105

77.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 €1,259

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-10.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 €1,152

$1,221 MX$21.2K

9.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,252 €2,800

$3,946 MX$68.4K

-17.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,960 €1,688

$6,498 MX$112.6K

-69.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 €1,504

$664 MX$11.5K

163.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

11.42

-69.96%

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

Last update for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: June 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $992 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 163% higher in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58.0 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $249 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is pricier by about 34%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,616 per month in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and $1,945 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,744 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and $1,297 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,297, than in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria at $1,744. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.