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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,104 in Gramsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,137 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,647 in Gramsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,017 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,191 in Gramsh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 14% more than Gramsh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Gramsh are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Gramsh 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$9.21 ALL 751

30.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$37.03 ALL 3,021

12.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.98 ALL 569

54.01%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.94 ALL 158

80.41%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.65 ALL 135

-12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.88 ALL 71.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.37 ALL 193

24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.34 ALL 273

35.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$2.05 ALL 167

-30.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.92 ALL 75.4

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.93 ALL 157

-18.65%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.90 ALL 237

-13.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$9.76 ALL 796

-15.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$7.64 ALL 623

10.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.51 ALL 1,102

-20.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.81 ALL 147

44.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$2.35 ALL 192

-38.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.69 ALL 138

15.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.35 ALL 110

54.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.01 ALL 82.7

83.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.23 ALL 100

76.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.14 ALL 92.9

-9.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.78 ALL 63.5

37.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$4.03 ALL 328

1.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$10.17 ALL 830

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.74 ALL 142

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.81 ALL 148

39.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.46 ALL 37.50

10.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$19.07 ALL 1,555

36.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$3.57 ALL 291

-9.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$3.16 ALL 258

-23.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$17.41 ALL 1,420

-81.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$2.12 ALL 173

-37.74%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$34.6K ALL 2.8M

-14.20%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$25.6K ALL 2.1M

-7.60%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$68.4 ALL 5,579

19.88%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$17.15 ALL 1,399

33.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$16.14 ALL 1,317

86.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$54.1 ALL 4,410

-3.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$25.66 ALL 2,093

-27.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$8.18 ALL 667

-39.12%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$96.0 ALL 7,831

105.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$47.11 ALL 3,842

-24.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$52.7 ALL 4,294

-23.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$95.1 ALL 7,758

-17.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$139 ALL 11.4K

-36.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$457 ALL 37.3K

107.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$346 ALL 28.2K

36.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$606 ALL 49.5K

171.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$430 ALL 35.1K

181.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$2,022 ALL 164.9K

100.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,320 ALL 107.7K

390.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

185.50%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Gramsh: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $457 in Gramsh. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $37.00 in Gramsh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $246 – making Gramsh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Gramsh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 14%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,884 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,656 in Gramsh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gramsh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $96.0 in Gramsh. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Gramsh, where all-in costs run around $1,104, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,256. In Gramsh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Gramsh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Gramsh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.