Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gradac

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,682 in Gradac, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Gradac
Learn more

Gradac Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Gradac

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,682

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Gradac actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,682 in Gradac, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Gradac $1,682

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,580 in Gradac, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Gradac $2,580

A family of three spends $2,959 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,479 in Gradac, rent included.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Gradac $3,479

Playa del Carmen is about 28% cheaper than Gradac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Playa del Carmen sits 12% below the global median, while Gradac is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$205

$29.26 €26.21

-62.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$814

$65.8 €58.9

-34.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$221

$17.68 €15.84

-33.37%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.5

$2.46 €2.20

54.88%

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

$1.28 MX$24.07

$2.96 €2.65

-56.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.70

$2.22 €1.99

-64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.5

$3.25 €2.91

-2.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.7

$7.86 €7.04

-37.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.40

$1.18 €1.05

19.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.62

$1.52 €1.36

46.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.61

$2.90 €2.59

-51.03%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.36

$3.80 €3.41

-33.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

$11.86 €10.62

-38.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

$9.57 €8.57

-19.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$238

$12.19 €10.92

4.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.3

$1.96 €1.76

41.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.43 €1.28

-4.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.89

$1.90 €1.70

34.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.86

$2.59 €2.32

-18.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.39

$1.36 €1.21

42.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.41

$1.24 €1.11

52.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.53

$1.05 €0.94

9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.13

$1.24 €1.11

-4.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.6

$10.59 €9.48

-59.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$187

$7.69 €6.88

29.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.73

$1.59 €1.43

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$2.29 €2.05

16.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.39

$1.73 €1.55

-68.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$500

$43.90 €39.31

-39.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$93.3

$3.30 €2.95

50.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.5

$1.36 €1.22

144.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$101

$13.65 €12.23

-60.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$27.11

$1.89 €1.69

-23.81%

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

$20.7K MX$388.0K

$28.1K €25.2K

-26.42%

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

$23.5K MX$440.5K

$25.3K €22.6K

-7.08%

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

$84.8 MX$1,592

$180 €161

-52.92%

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

$23.41 MX$439

$22.04 €19.74

6.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$538

$39.82 €35.66

-28.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,071

$51.5 €46.16

10.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$543

$15.44 €13.83

87.24%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.5

$10.47 €9.37

-50.91%

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

$207 MX$3,878

$421 €377

-50.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.7K

$6,533 €5,851

-39.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$814

$100 €90.0

-56.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$778

$38.98 €34.91

6.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,393

$103 €92.5

-28.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,676

$96.4 €86.3

-7.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.4K

$691 €618

41.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,150

$518 €464

-26.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$32.1K

$1,181 €1,058

44.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.2K

$881 €789

21.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$74.0K

$4,087 €3,660

-3.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.6K

$2,928 €2,622

110.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.8K

$1,616 €1,447

-54.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.56

221.63%

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 Gradac: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Gradac

$518 30.8% 36% $137

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Gradac

$266 15.8% 4.5% $11

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Gradac

$369 22% 82.5% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Gradac

$242 14.4% 76.8% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Gradac

$153 9.1% 36.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Gradac

$72 4.3% 7.7% $5.2

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Gradac

$61 3.6% 20.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $980 in Playa del Carmen versus $691 in Gradac. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Gradac are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen versus $66 in Gradac. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $255 vs $266 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇭🇷 Gradac

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

10:47 10:47 AM

6 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

3,300

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.33 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18.77 MXN (100 MXN = 5.33 USD). 1 EUR = 20.96 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa del Carmen Gradac 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Gradac

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 Gradac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gradac costs about 40% more than Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,522 in Gradac. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gradac, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $691 there versus $980 in Playa del Carmen.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Gradac, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Playa del Carmen and $66 in Gradac. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Gradac at $1,682. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gradac it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Playa del Carmen has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,204 in Playa del Carmen to $1,682 in Gradac. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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