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 $1,287 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,057 in Grand Bois, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,184 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,720 in Grand Bois, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,382 in Grand Bois, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 22% 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 4% lower, Grand Bois 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 MX$208

$6.48 MUR 303

84.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.75 MX$744

$43.53 MUR 2,035

-1.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 MX$184

$7.05 MUR 330

50.21%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$63.0

$2.67 MUR 125

35.58%

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

$1.47 MX$25.54

$1.04 MUR 48.55

41.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.41

$0.56 MUR 26.00

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 MX$53.8

$2.16 MUR 101

43.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 MX$77.6

$3.24 MUR 151

37.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.80

$1.71 MUR 79.8

-16.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.79

$0.67 MUR 31.11

180.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.34

$1.33 MUR 62.4

22.56%

Eggs

$2.64 MX$45.99

$2.27 MUR 106

16.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.21 MX$143

$11.97 MUR 560

-31.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$6.28 MUR 294

32.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.10 MX$193

$12.88 MUR 602

-13.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$46.14

$2.07 MUR 97.0

28.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$26.11

$1.93 MUR 90.0

-22.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.59

$1.44 MUR 67.3

38.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.13

$2.63 MUR 123

-20.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.11

$1.03 MUR 48.19

73.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.87

$0.93 MUR 43.42

134.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.73

$0.84 MUR 39.38

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$18.04

$0.77 MUR 35.97

35.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$69.1

$6.71 MUR 314

-40.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 MX$178

$8.46 MUR 395

20.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.04

$1.74 MUR 81.5

-0.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 MX$43.46

$2.19 MUR 102

14.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$1.00 MUR 46.81

-48.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.97 MX$469

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.7

$4.33 MUR 202

-27.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.80

$2.73 MUR 128

-12.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.7

$19.74 MUR 923

-84.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.16

$1.42 MUR 66.2

-10.56%

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

$30.9K MX$537.3K

$35.2K MUR 1.6M

-12.15%

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

$23.3K MX$405.7K

$29.0K MUR 1.4M

-19.60%

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

$82.0 MX$1,427

$50.1 MUR 2,343

63.63%

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

$22.45 MX$391

$18.64 MUR 871

20.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.66 MX$516

$33.63 MUR 1,572

-11.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 MX$903

$37.82 MUR 1,768

37.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.67 MX$325

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MX$86.5

$6.13 MUR 286

-18.92%

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

$198 MX$3,442

$157 MUR 7,331

26.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,273 MX$91.7K

$3,944 MUR 184.4K

33.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.34 MX$632

$83.9 MUR 3,923

-56.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 MX$697

$78.2 MUR 3,656

-48.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,390

$131 MUR 6,124

-39.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,547

$93.8 MUR 4,384

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$963 MX$16.8K

$511 MUR 23.9K

88.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,086

$346 MUR 16.2K

34.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 MX$27.8K

$941 MUR 44.0K

69.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 MX$21.0K

$732 MUR 34.2K

65.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,942 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,448 MX$112.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$720 MX$12.5K

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Grand Bois: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $963 in Playa del Carmen versus $511 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 $44.00 in Grand Bois. Groceries tell a different story – $251 in Playa del Carmen vs $232 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 22%, 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 $1,930 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,586 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 $1,287 in Playa del Carmen and $1,057 in Grand Bois. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $198 per month in Playa del Carmen and $157 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 $1,057, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,287. 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.