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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,019 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,587 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,154 in Grahamstown.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 27% more expensive than Grahamstown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Grahamstown 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$8.62 R 140

36.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$33.38 R 543

24.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$4.97 R 80.8

114.08%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.02 R 32.78

74.26%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.99 R 16.17

52.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.80 R 13.07

21.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.22 R 36.06

32.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.57 R 41.79

73.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.11 R 17.97

24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.01 R 16.37

87.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.56 R 25.41

5.13%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.37 R 38.51

5.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.73 R 126

7.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.69 R 76.3

77.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$6.53 R 106

64.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.66 R 26.96

56.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.46 R 23.73

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.53 R 24.79

24.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.57 R 25.51

32.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.36 R 22.09

30.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.19 R 19.30

84.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.08 R 17.57

-3.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.90 R 14.69

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.73 R 44.42

49.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$4.82 R 78.4

114.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.38 R 22.44

23.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.67 R 27.13

54.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.68 R 27.35

-69.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.09 R 17.73

199.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$0.94 R 15.30

164.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$3.95 R 64.2

-17.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.30 R 21.07

0.77%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$21.3K R 346.5K

42.03%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$23.9K R 388.8K

-2.06%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$120 R 1,956

-31.14%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$34.61 R 562

-35.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$41.07 R 667

-28.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$31.46 R 511

64.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.69 R 109

-24.22%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$197 R 3,202

1.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$4,305 R 70.0K

21.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$50.6 R 822

-27.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$31.69 R 515

25.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$87.5 R 1,423

-10.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$80.4 R 1,306

8.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$368 R 5,979

164.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$329 R 5,345

42.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$676 R 11.0K

142.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$684 R 11.1K

78.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$794 R 12.9K

396.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$683 R 11.1K

851.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

$1,228 R 20.0K

-45.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.51

-0.78%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $368 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 85% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $33.00 in Grahamstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $176 per month, with Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Playa del Carmen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Grahamstown earns 85% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $368 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,019 in Grahamstown – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,019 in Grahamstown versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,019 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.