Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Carriacou

For one person, living is cheaper in Carriacou: $281 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Carriacou, Grenada
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Carriacou
🇬🇩 Grenada
$281
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Carriacou

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $281 in Carriacou.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Carriacou $281

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $542 in Carriacou.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Carriacou $542

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $803 in Carriacou.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,959
  • Carriacou $803

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 329% more expensive than in Carriacou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Carriacou 79% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Carriacou
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.92 MX$203
$14.71 EC$39.72
-25.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.37 MX$808
$45.14 EC$122
-3.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.78 MX$219
$9.34 EC$25.22
26.12%
Cappuccino
$3.81 MX$71.0
$2.98 EC$8.05
27.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MX$23.89
$2.24 EC$6.04
-42.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.58
$1.31 EC$3.54
-40.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.17 MX$59.0
$2.28 EC$6.16
39.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$91.9
$3.81 EC$10.28
29.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Carriacou
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.20
-
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$41.30
-
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.40
-
-
Eggs
$2.52 MX$47.00
$5.65 EC$15.27
-55.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.26 MX$135
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.70 MX$143
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.69 MX$236
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.9
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 MX$25.49
-
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.55 MX$47.52
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.12 MX$39.55
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.94 MX$36.11
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 MX$35.13
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.36
$1.14 EC$3.08
0.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 MX$21.96
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 MX$80.0
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$9.95 MX$185
$14.82 EC$40.00
-32.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 MX$29.50
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MX$49.76
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Carriacou
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.55 MX$10.31
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$26.62 MX$496
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.97 MX$92.6
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.33 MX$62.1
$1.89 EC$5.10
76.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.36 MX$99.8
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 MX$26.90
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.7K MX$385.0K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.5K MX$437.2K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Carriacou
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.8 MX$1,580
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.41 MX$436
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.66 MX$534
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Carriacou
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.1 MX$1,063
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.91 MX$539
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.14 MX$95.7
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Carriacou
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,848
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,927 MX$73.2K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Carriacou
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.35 MX$808
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.44 MX$772
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.2 MX$1,382
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 MX$1,663
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Carriacou
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$980 MX$18.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$381 MX$7,095
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,708 MX$31.8K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,075 MX$20.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,943 MX$73.5K
$544 EC$1,468
625.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,158 MX$114.7K
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Carriacou
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$735 MX$13.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
0
-

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Carriacou: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$381
Carriacou
–
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$255
Carriacou
–
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$202
Carriacou
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Carriacou
–
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Carriacou
–
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$67
Carriacou
–
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Carriacou
–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43 in Playa del Carmen vs $45 in Carriacou. Groceries flip the comparison at $255 vs $57, with Carriacou cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇩 Carriacou
🕒 Local time
22:09 10:09 PM
23:09 11:09 PM
1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
1,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.01 XCD (1 XCD = 0.333 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Carriacou 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Carriacou

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
Playa del Carmen vs Carriacou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Carriacou cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Carriacou is about 77% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,806 in Playa del Carmen and $421 in Carriacou 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.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Carriacou?
Supermarket bills run roughly 348% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Carriacou?
Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $43 versus $45 in Carriacou. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Carriacou?
At $281 in Carriacou versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Carriacou but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Carriacou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Playa del Carmen or in Carriacou?
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.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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