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 $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,082 in Gramsh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,181 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,650 in Gramsh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,065 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,219 in Gramsh, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 20% more than Gramsh, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Gramsh are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Gramsh 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$9.66 ALL 790

21.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$36.83 ALL 3,013

13.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.26 ALL 594

46.56%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.94 ALL 159

81.44%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.58 ALL 129

-4.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.85 ALL 69.6

14.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.31 ALL 189

27.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.19 ALL 261

39.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$2.07 ALL 169

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.92 ALL 75.7

105.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$2.01 ALL 165

-18.41%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$3.02 ALL 247

-16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$9.77 ALL 799

-14.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$7.77 ALL 635

7.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$13.39 ALL 1,095

-19.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.87 ALL 153

39.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$2.34 ALL 191

-37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.68 ALL 137

13.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.33 ALL 109

56.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.06 ALL 86.5

67.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.20 ALL 98.0

82.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$1.09 ALL 88.9

-4.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.72 ALL 59.2

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$4.18 ALL 342

-2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$9.94 ALL 813

3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.76 ALL 144

-2.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.80 ALL 147

43.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.46 ALL 37.63

10.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$18.51 ALL 1,515

42.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$3.48 ALL 285

-6.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$3.05 ALL 250

-18.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$17.71 ALL 1,449

-81.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$2.19 ALL 179

-40.18%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$34.3K ALL 2.8M

-11.60%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$25.4K ALL 2.1M

-7.89%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$68.4 ALL 5,599

21.08%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$17.22 ALL 1,409

29.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$16.10 ALL 1,317

82.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$55.5 ALL 4,544

-7.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

$25.67 ALL 2,100

-28.63%

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$8.33 ALL 682

-39.14%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$92.5 ALL 7,564

117.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$46.35 ALL 3,792

-20.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$53.1 ALL 4,346

-25.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$93.8 ALL 7,671

-16.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$143 ALL 11.7K

-38.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$459 ALL 37.5K

112.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$342 ALL 28.0K

36.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$604 ALL 49.4K

171.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$441 ALL 36.1K

176.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,803 ALL 147.5K

118.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,220 ALL 99.8K

432.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Gramsh: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $459 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 20%, 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 $1,945 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,623 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 $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $92.5 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 $1,082, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,297. 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.