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: $1,239 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,155 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,168 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,795 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,096 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,435 in Grahamstown.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 7% more expensive than in Grahamstown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 8% lower, Grahamstown 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.17 MX$203

$11.18 R 186

-0.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.61 MX$810

$42.90 R 714

3.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 MX$216

$5.85 R 97.5

103.59%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$69.3

$2.11 R 35.08

80.57%

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

$1.38 MX$24.97

$1.05 R 17.46

31.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$14.46

$0.78 R 13.04

2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$56.6

$2.72 R 45.36

14.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MX$90.2

$3.28 R 54.5

51.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$27.42

$1.15 R 19.09

31.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 MX$40.77

$1.07 R 17.80

110.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.35

$1.49 R 24.75

1.34%

Eggs

$2.46 MX$44.73

$2.85 R 47.54

-13.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.50 MX$136

$8.90 R 148

-15.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.07 MX$146

$5.33 R 88.8

51.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 MX$238

$8.94 R 149

46.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 MX$51.5

$2.14 R 35.71

32.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 MX$26.78

$1.56 R 26.04

-5.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 MX$48.90

$1.72 R 28.63

56.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$37.75

$1.85 R 30.73

12.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$35.52

$1.71 R 28.54

14.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$36.51

$1.47 R 24.44

36.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$21.97

$1.27 R 21.20

-4.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 MX$22.34

$1.03 R 17.16

19.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MX$81.0

$3.37 R 56.1

32.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 MX$181

$5.06 R 84.2

97.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$29.62

$1.23 R 20.52

32.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MX$50.8

$1.87 R 31.07

49.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 MX$10.50

$1.57 R 26.13

-63.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.28 MX$514

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 MX$88.1

$0.65 R 10.81

646.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.50 MX$63.5

$0.50 R 8.38

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 MX$103

$8.44 R 140

-33.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.43

$1.43 R 23.82

2.10%

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

$21.4K MX$388.4K

$36.7K R 611.2K

-41.72%

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

$24.0K MX$435.6K

$33.9K R 564.7K

-29.27%

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

$86.3 MX$1,568

$124 R 2,069

-30.52%

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

$23.96 MX$435

$35.82 R 596

-33.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.93 MX$525

$46.54 R 775

-37.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 MX$1,174

$32.84 R 547

96.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.07 MX$528

$11.50 R 191

152.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 MX$93.1

$10.63 R 177

-51.74%

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

$211 MX$3,838

$184 R 3,065

14.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,045 MX$73.4K

$5,014 R 83.5K

-19.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 MX$803

$72.3 R 1,203

-38.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.35 MX$787

$38.82 R 646

11.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 MX$1,396

$114 R 1,894

-32.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 MX$1,605

$96.9 R 1,614

-8.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$996 MX$18.1K

$399 R 6,651

149.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 MX$6,874

$369 R 6,143

2.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 MX$32.1K

$764 R 12.7K

131.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 MX$20.5K

$766 R 12.8K

47.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 MX$72.8K

$864 R 14.4K

364.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,392 MX$116.1K

$644 R 10.7K

892.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$768 MX$14.0K

$1,235 R 20.6K

-37.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.94

-4.10%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 27, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $996 in Playa del Carmen and $399 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $43.00 in Grahamstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $201 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 7% 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, salaries run 61% lower in Grahamstown. 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: $996 in Playa del Carmen versus $399 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,239 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,155 in Grahamstown – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,155 in Grahamstown versus $1,239 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 $1,155 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 7% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.