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: $1,260 in Playa del Carmen versus $857 in Gramado.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,125 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,313 in Gramado.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,990 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,769 in Gramado.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 47% more expensive than in Gramado, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Gramado 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$6.15 R$31.20

90.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$725

$18.13 R$92.0

131.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$5.29 R$26.83

98.68%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.0

$1.46 R$7.40

145.89%

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

$1.51 MX$26.10

$1.07 R$5.45

41.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.83

$0.62 R$3.15

48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.17 R$11.01

36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.3

$1.82 R$9.24

142.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.16

$0.86 R$4.35

62.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.60

$1.26 R$6.38

49.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.97

$1.09 R$5.53

43.12%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.14

$2.06 R$10.48

26.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$9.66 R$49.02

-13.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$3.92 R$19.92

113.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$5.11 R$25.95

112.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.93

$2.01 R$10.19

34.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.04

$1.25 R$6.35

20.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.41

$1.27 R$6.44

47.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.89

$1.45 R$7.34

51.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.14

$0.89 R$4.51

108.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.59

$1.02 R$5.20

118.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.48

$0.57 R$2.87

87.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.79

$0.62 R$3.17

75.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.4

$1.89 R$9.59

121.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$180

$5.70 R$28.91

82.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.68

$1.02 R$5.18

62.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.19

$1.75 R$8.88

49.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$1.03 R$5.25

-47.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$63.1 R$320

-58.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$1.50 R$7.62

105.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.61

$0.53 R$2.67

352.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$5.54 R$28.12

-43.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.69

$1.02 R$5.17

28.43%

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

$29.8K MX$515.7K

$14.3K R$72.4K

108.90%

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

$23.3K MX$403.5K

$19.8K R$100.5K

17.72%

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

$81.3 MX$1,406

$56.6 R$287

43.53%

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

$22.56 MX$390

$11.49 R$58.3

96.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$520

$20.24 R$103

48.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$915

$23.28 R$118

127.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$318

$25.65 R$130

-28.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.1

$5.65 R$28.67

-12.92%

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

$201 MX$3,474

$271 R$1,373

-25.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.5K

$2,862 R$14.5K

80.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$48.95 R$248

-26.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$694

$30.74 R$156

30.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,379

$64.5 R$328

23.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,496

$44.42 R$225

94.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$425 R$2,157

130.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,140

$302 R$1,535

55.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$870 R$4,417

89.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.8K

$579 R$2,938

107.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.4K

$2,529 R$12.8K

56.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.3K

$1,539 R$7,807

329.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

$597 R$3,027

13.42%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Gramado: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $978 in Playa del Carmen and $425 in Gramado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 13% 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: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Gramado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $162 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 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Playa del Carmen, 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: $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $425 in Gramado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $201 in Playa del Carmen versus $271 in Gramado. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $857 in Gramado versus $1,260 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 47% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.