Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Grand-Gaube Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Grand-Gaube

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $897 in Grand-Gaube.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,482 in Grand-Gaube.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,066 in Grand-Gaube.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 40% more expensive than in Grand-Gaube, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Grand-Gaube 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$6.71 MUR 315

78.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$44.47 MUR 2,089

-6.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$6.94 MUR 326

54.90%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.67 MUR 125

31.09%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.95 MUR 44.50

52.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.56 MUR 26.42

57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.18 MUR 102

35.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$3.28 MUR 154

37.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.09 MUR 51.1

31.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.66 MUR 30.82

178.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.32 MUR 62.2

18.94%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.14 MUR 100

17.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$11.97 MUR 562

-30.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.36 MUR 158

150.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$12.63 MUR 593

-15.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$1.29 MUR 60.4

102.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.50 MUR 70.4

-4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.34 MUR 62.8

46.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.08 MUR 50.9

93.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.02 MUR 48.10

81.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$0.86 MUR 40.29

152.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.85 MUR 40.02

21.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.54 MUR 25.15

98.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$6.69 MUR 314

-38.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$6.30 MUR 296

61.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.20 MUR 56.5

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$2.24 MUR 105

12.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.00 MUR 46.80

-49.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$4.35 MUR 204

-25.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$2.70 MUR 127

-10.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$20.11 MUR 945

-83.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.41 MUR 66.0

-6.38%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

-16.32%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

-18.58%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$49.85 MUR 2,341

64.51%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$18.37 MUR 863

24.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$33.34 MUR 1,566

-9.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$37.84 MUR 1,777

37.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$5.98 MUR 281

-16.72%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$67.2 MUR 3,157

193.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$3,928 MUR 184.5K

35.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$26.21 MUR 1,231

35.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$26.53 MUR 1,246

52.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$66.1 MUR 3,105

19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$32.37 MUR 1,520

174.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$517 MUR 24.3K

83.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$353 MUR 16.6K

34.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$936 MUR 44.0K

75.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$709 MUR 33.3K

70.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Grand-Gaube: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $517 in Grand-Gaube. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Grand-Gaube. Groceries flip the comparison at $249 vs $186, with Grand-Gaube cheaper for home cooking.

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-Gaube: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Grand-Gaube differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $897 including rent). Grand-Gaube is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,345 in Grand-Gaube to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $517 in Grand-Gaube. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,256 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $897 in Grand-Gaube – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $897 in Grand-Gaube versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Grand-Gaube but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Grand-Gaube the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Grand-Gaube are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Grand-Gaube gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.