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 $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $634 in Grand Bois, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,279 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,042 in Grand Bois, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,292 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,450 in Grand Bois, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 100% 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 7% lower, Grand Bois 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$199

$5.67 MUR 269

104.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$809

$38.87 MUR 1,846

21.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$204

$7.55 MUR 359

57.35%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.2

$2.60 MUR 124

53.08%

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

$1.43 MX$24.49

$1.18 MUR 56.2

21.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.16

$0.62 MUR 29.56

32.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.7

$2.66 MUR 127

19.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$4.85 MUR 230

40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.76

$1.54 MUR 73.1

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.71

$0.78 MUR 37.23

182.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.15 MUR 54.6

48.70%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.05

$2.66 MUR 126

3.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$164

$5.22 MUR 248

83.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$6.55 MUR 311

37.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$220

$11.39 MUR 541

12.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.58

$2.76 MUR 131

4.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$2.66 MUR 127

-43.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.87

$1.43 MUR 68.1

50.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.79

$2.95 MUR 140

-23.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.00

$0.99 MUR 47.08

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.15

$0.99 MUR 47.04

101.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.18

$0.73 MUR 34.84

68.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.54

$0.85 MUR 40.26

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.1

$6.44 MUR 306

-29.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.53 MUR 405

21.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.79

$1.62 MUR 77.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.44

$2.38 MUR 113

21.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.30

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$494

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.5

$4.33 MUR 206

24.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.0

$3.22 MUR 153

15.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.0

$21.27 MUR 1,010

-72.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.37

$1.39 MUR 66.0

10.79%

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

$22.5K MX$387.0K

$36.8K MUR 1.7M

-38.74%

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

$26.1K MX$447.3K

$31.2K MUR 1.5M

-16.51%

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

$91.4 MX$1,569

$45.39 MUR 2,156

101.32%

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

$25.20 MX$433

$10.45 MUR 496

141.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$536

$29.48 MUR 1,400

5.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$500

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.5

$6.18 MUR 294

-21.36%

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

$224 MX$3,839

$127 MUR 6,013

76.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.6K

$7,698 MUR 365.6K

-45.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$808

$77.1 MUR 3,663

-38.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$760

$75.0 MUR 3,560

-40.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,375

$119 MUR 5,661

-32.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,591

$79.1 MUR 3,759

17.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,698

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$36.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.8K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$111.6K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

6.67

71.66%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Grand Bois: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Grand Bois. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $219 – making Grand Bois 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 Grand Bois: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 100%, 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 $1,899 per month in Playa del Carmen and $951 in Grand Bois. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,266 in Playa del Carmen and $634 in Grand Bois. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $224 per month in Playa del Carmen and $127 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 $634, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,266. 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.