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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,073 in Grand Bois, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,757 in Grand Bois, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,442 in Grand Bois, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 18% 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 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$6.78 MUR 319

75.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$44.64 MUR 2,102

-3.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$7.23 MUR 341

47.30%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.67 MUR 126

29.21%

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

$1.50 MX$25.81

$0.97 MUR 45.61

54.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.56 MUR 26.18

69.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.18 MUR 103

38.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.39 MUR 160

35.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.65 MUR 77.7

-16.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$0.66 MUR 30.88

180.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.29 MUR 60.6

24.81%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.26 MUR 106

14.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$12.06 MUR 568

-31.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$6.06 MUR 285

38.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$12.69 MUR 597

-16.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$2.01 MUR 94.4

30.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$2.00 MUR 94.0

-25.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.49 MUR 70.3

28.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.71 MUR 128

-22.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$0.98 MUR 46.30

89.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.02 MUR 47.81

121.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$0.86 MUR 40.49

23.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.75 MUR 35.41

45.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$6.65 MUR 313

-37.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$8.31 MUR 391

25.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.75 MUR 82.3

-1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$2.17 MUR 102

20.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$0.99 MUR 46.76

-45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$4.47 MUR 210

-29.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$2.65 MUR 125

-5.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$20.00 MUR 942

-84.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.41 MUR 66.4

-9.93%

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

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$36.0K MUR 1.7M

-15.61%

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

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-19.07%

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

$83.0 MX$1,425

$48.84 MUR 2,300

69.94%

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

$22.71 MX$390

$18.33 MUR 863

23.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$33.91 MUR 1,597

-13.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$37.87 MUR 1,783

34.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$5.90 MUR 278

-16.44%

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

$197 MX$3,386

$154 MUR 7,229

28.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$3,976 MUR 187.2K

32.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$86.8 MUR 4,088

-57.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$80.0 MUR 3,767

-50.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$132 MUR 6,197

-39.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$96.4 MUR 4,540

-7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$513 MUR 24.2K

86.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$347 MUR 16.3K

37.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$950 MUR 44.7K

73.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$713 MUR 33.6K

71.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Grand Bois: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $513 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $45.00 in Grand Bois. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $230 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 18%, 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,609 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,073 in Grand Bois. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $154 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 $1,073, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.