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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,616 in Gradac, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,362 in Gradac, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,108 in Gradac, rent included.

Playa del Carmen is about 22% cheaper than Gradac, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Playa del Carmen sits 7% below the global median, while Gradac is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$13.74 €11.90

-15.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$807

$61.4 €53.2

-23.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$18.50 €16.01

-35.78%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.1

$2.55 €2.21

56.08%

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

$1.43 MX$24.45

$3.01 €2.60

-52.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.13

$2.26 €1.96

-63.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.6

$3.45 €2.99

-7.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$116

$7.92 €6.86

-14.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.71

$1.18 €1.02

42.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.64

$1.61 €1.39

36.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.27

$3.06 €2.65

-44.12%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$46.96

$3.77 €3.26

-27.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$11.37 €9.84

-15.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$154

$9.68 €8.38

-6.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$219

$12.69 €10.99

0.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.49

$1.87 €1.62

54.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.65

$1.41 €1.22

6.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.80

$1.95 €1.69

10.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.71

$2.59 €2.24

-12.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.93

$1.38 €1.19

43.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.09

$1.19 €1.03

67.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.15

$1.11 €0.96

10.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.50

$1.29 €1.12

-6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.0

$10.98 €9.51

-58.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$7.93 €6.86

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.74

$1.68 €1.45

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.35

$2.25 €1.95

28.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.29

$1.49 €1.29

-59.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$493

$40.57 €35.12

-29.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.3

$3.55 €3.07

51.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$63.9

$1.53 €1.32

143.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$98.9

$18.85 €16.31

-69.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.32

$1.88 €1.63

-18.09%

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

$22.5K MX$386.3K

$26.8K €23.2K

-15.94%

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

$26.1K MX$446.5K

$25.9K €22.4K

0.73%

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

$91.4 MX$1,566

$187 €162

-51.21%

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

$25.20 MX$432

$22.94 €19.86

9.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$535

$41.04 €35.53

-23.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,151

$53.2 €46.06

26.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$499

$15.79 €13.67

84.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.3

$9.20 €7.96

-47.17%

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

$224 MX$3,832

$430 €372

-48.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.5K

$11.9K €10.3K

-64.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$807

$95.1 €82.4

-50.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$759

$40.84 €35.36

8.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,373

$106 €91.8

-24.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,588

$101 €87.6

-8.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

$699 €606

51.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,686

$533 €462

-26.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.8K

$1,209 €1,046

77.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

$838 €725

51.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.6K

$4,184 €3,622

-4.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.4K

$3,029 €2,622

114.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$1,657 €1,434

-54.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

3.72

207.80%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Gradac: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $699 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 run about 119% higher in Gradac, 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $61.0 in Gradac. Groceries tell a different story – $276 in Playa del Carmen vs $270 in Gradac – so Gradac wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 28% more than Playa del Carmen, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,424 in Gradac. 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Gradac – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen and $61.0 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 $1,266, than in Gradac at $1,616. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gradac it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Playa del Carmen costs $1,266 versus $1,616 in Gradac. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Gradac makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.