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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,287 in Playa del Carmen versus $834 in Gramado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,184 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,309 in Gramado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,783 in Gramado.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 54% more expensive than Gramado, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 4% lower, Gramado 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$209

$6.19 R$30.87

92.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$748

$17.72 R$88.4

141.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$185

$5.44 R$27.15

94.67%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.4

$1.40 R$6.97

158.57%

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

$1.47 MX$25.69

$1.07 R$5.35

37.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.51

$0.65 R$3.26

44.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$54.1

$2.19 R$10.92

41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$78.0

$1.78 R$8.90

150.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$0.91 R$4.54

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.97

$1.29 R$6.46

45.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.50

$1.10 R$5.47

48.18%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$46.26

$2.12 R$10.56

24.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$144

$9.45 R$47.13

-13.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$3.98 R$19.88

108.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$194

$5.21 R$26.02

113.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.40

$2.05 R$10.23

29.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.26

$1.33 R$6.62

12.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.79

$1.33 R$6.62

49.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.33

$1.51 R$7.55

37.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.29

$0.87 R$4.35

105.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$38.09

$1.06 R$5.31

105.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.84

$0.57 R$2.84

89.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.15

$0.62 R$3.08

67.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.5

$1.92 R$9.56

106.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$179

$5.87 R$29.30

73.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.22

$1.02 R$5.08

69.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.71

$1.73 R$8.61

44.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.07

$1.09 R$5.42

-52.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$472

$61.8 R$308

-56.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$55.0

$1.52 R$7.58

106.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$0.49 R$2.45

389.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$54.0

$5.29 R$26.40

-41.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.28

$1.03 R$5.16

23.30%

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

$30.9K MX$540.4K

$14.3K R$71.2K

116.55%

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

$23.3K MX$408.0K

$19.6K R$98.0K

18.71%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$55.8 R$278

47.08%

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

$22.45 MX$393

$11.44 R$57.1

96.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$519

$19.76 R$98.6

50.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$908

$22.90 R$114

126.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$327

$25.62 R$128

-27.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$87.0

$5.85 R$29.22

-15.04%

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

$198 MX$3,462

$268 R$1,338

-26.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$92.3K

$2,926 R$14.6K

80.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$636

$48.60 R$243

-25.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$701

$30.63 R$153

30.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,398

$63.0 R$314

26.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,555

$43.93 R$219

102.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.9K

$419 R$2,092

129.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,133

$304 R$1,518

52.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.9K

$887 R$4,426

79.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.2K

$582 R$2,904

107.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$69.0K

$2,544 R$12.7K

54.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.8K

$1,548 R$7,726

316.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.6K

$604 R$3,012

19.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

14.20%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 25, 2026

Last update for Gramado: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $963 in Playa del Carmen and $419 in Gramado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 19% 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: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Gramado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $165 per month, with Gramado 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 Gramado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gramado is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Playa del Carmen pays 19% more on average, 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: $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $419 in Gramado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $198 in Playa del Carmen versus $268 in Gramado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $834 in Gramado versus $1,287 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gramado but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gramado the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gramado 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.

Expats usually find Gramado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.