Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Grand Bois Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Grand Bois

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,044 in Grand Bois, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,720 in Grand Bois, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,397 in Grand Bois, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 21% more than Grand Bois, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Grand Bois are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Grand Bois 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$204

$6.57 MUR 310

78.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$731

$44.46 MUR 2,099

-5.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$183

$7.28 MUR 344

44.37%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.5

$2.59 MUR 122

38.61%

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

$1.51 MX$26.31

$1.03 MUR 48.70

46.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.96

$0.56 MUR 26.41

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.6

$2.22 MUR 105

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.9

$3.23 MUR 153

36.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.35

$1.64 MUR 77.3

-14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.87

$0.70 MUR 33.23

168.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.19

$1.32 MUR 62.5

18.18%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.50

$2.26 MUR 107

15.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$145

$11.66 MUR 551

-28.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$146

$6.01 MUR 284

38.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$189

$12.54 MUR 592

-13.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.31

$2.04 MUR 96.4

32.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.25

$2.01 MUR 95.1

-24.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.67

$1.50 MUR 70.7

24.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$38.19

$2.75 MUR 130

-20.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.40

$1.04 MUR 48.89

78.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.90

$1.01 MUR 47.84

120.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$0.85 MUR 40.01

25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.94

$0.82 MUR 38.66

32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$73.0

$6.67 MUR 315

-37.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$182

$8.42 MUR 398

23.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.91

$1.73 MUR 81.6

-4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.56

$2.24 MUR 106

16.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.45

$1.00 MUR 47.13

-46.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$456

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.7

$4.29 MUR 203

-28.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.94

$2.66 MUR 126

-9.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.5

$19.75 MUR 932

-84.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.87

$1.40 MUR 65.9

-6.43%

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

$29.8K MX$519.9K

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

-15.81%

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

$23.3K MX$406.8K

$29.2K MUR 1.4M

-20.24%

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

$81.3 MX$1,418

$50.4 MUR 2,381

61.17%

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

$22.56 MX$393

$18.29 MUR 864

23.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$524

$34.01 MUR 1,606

-11.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$923

$37.58 MUR 1,775

40.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$321

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.8

$6.22 MUR 294

-20.90%

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

$201 MX$3,502

$156 MUR 7,349

29.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$90.2K

$3,915 MUR 184.8K

32.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$627

$85.7 MUR 4,048

-58.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$700

$80.1 MUR 3,780

-49.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,390

$130 MUR 6,127

-38.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,508

$95.5 MUR 4,508

-9.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$17.1K

$522 MUR 24.7K

87.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,206

$358 MUR 16.9K

31.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.8K

$966 MUR 45.6K

70.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$21.0K

$730 MUR 34.5K

64.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$115.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

6.67

71.21%

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 Grand Bois: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $522 in Grand Bois. 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 $44.00 in Grand Bois. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $231 in Grand Bois – so Grand Bois wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Grand Bois: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 21%, 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 $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,566 in Grand Bois. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $1,044 in Grand Bois. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $201 per month in Playa del Carmen and $156 in Grand Bois. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Grand Bois, where all-in costs run around $1,044, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Grand Bois it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Grand Bois. 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.