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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $930 in Gracanica.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,442 in Gracanica.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,954 in Gracanica.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 35% more expensive than in Gracanica, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Gracanica 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$7.22 BAM 12.37

66.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$36.08 BAM 61.8

15.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$5.49 BAM 9.41

95.81%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.69 BAM 2.90

107.10%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.78 BAM 3.05

-18.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.15 BAM 1.98

-23.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.37 BAM 4.06

24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.05 BAM 3.51

120.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.41 BAM 2.41

1.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.38 BAM 2.36

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.31 BAM 3.95

-32.03%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.86 BAM 4.90

-12.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.92 BAM 16.98

-16.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.27 BAM 12.45

15.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.20 BAM 22.60

-19.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.23 BAM 2.10

112.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.67 BAM 2.86

-13.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.92 BAM 3.29

2.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.75 BAM 3.00

19.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$0.84 BAM 1.44

120.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.68 BAM 1.17

219.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.93 BAM 1.59

10.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.95 BAM 1.62

12.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$3.45 BAM 5.90

18.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$8.30 BAM 14.22

22.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.21 BAM 2.08

38.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.05 BAM 3.52

23.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.85 BAM 3.16

-72.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$35.82 BAM 61.4

-27.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.80 BAM 3.08

79.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$0.83 BAM 1.42

190.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$10.51 BAM 17.99

-69.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.43 BAM 2.45

-7.69%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$23.6K BAM 40.4K

25.85%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$26.1K BAM 44.7K

-9.39%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$124 BAM 212

-33.66%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$18.98 BAM 32.51

20.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$29.21 BAM 50.0

3.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$29.86 BAM 51.2

74.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$10.81 BAM 18.52

71.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.47 BAM 9.37

-8.96%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$150 BAM 257

31.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$3,333 BAM 5,709

60.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$71.2 BAM 122

-49.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$34.44 BAM 59.0

17.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$97.3 BAM 167

-19.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$120 BAM 205

-25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$254 BAM 435

272.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$170 BAM 292

178.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$362 BAM 619

354.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$313 BAM 536

286.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,554 BAM 4,374

58.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,821 BAM 3,118

255.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$585 BAM 1,002

11.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

4.14

175.85%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gracanica: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $254 in Gracanica. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 12% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $36.00 in Gracanica for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $233 per month, with Gracanica 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

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

Gracanica is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $254 in Gracanica. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $150 in Gracanica. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $930 in Gracanica versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gracanica but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gracanica the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gracanica is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Gracanica 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 Gracanica gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.