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: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,050 in Grand-Gaube.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,734 in Grand-Gaube.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,418 in Grand-Gaube.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 24% more expensive than in Grand-Gaube, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Grand-Gaube 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$5.99 MUR 280

99.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$38.05 MUR 1,781

24.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$7.57 MUR 354

55.22%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.58 MUR 121

59.69%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.13 MUR 52.7

23.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.62 MUR 28.92

46.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.67 MUR 125

20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$4.65 MUR 217

52.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.61 MUR 75.6

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$0.72 MUR 33.92

198.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.15 MUR 53.7

53.91%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.68 MUR 126

5.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$5.23 MUR 245

75.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.55 MUR 306

40.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$11.23 MUR 525

12.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

$2.73 MUR 128

8.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$2.66 MUR 125

-40.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.45 MUR 67.8

53.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$3.05 MUR 143

-22.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.01 MUR 47.49

97.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$0.95 MUR 44.49

108.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$0.70 MUR 32.71

77.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$0.91 MUR 42.37

32.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$6.65 MUR 311

-30.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$8.65 MUR 405

21.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.69 MUR 79.0

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.33 MUR 109

18.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$4.30 MUR 201

21.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

$3.26 MUR 153

11.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$21.42 MUR 1,002

-73.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.37 MUR 64.2

12.41%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

$36.3K MUR 1.7M

-37.20%

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$30.7K MUR 1.4M

-15.90%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$45.47 MUR 2,128

99.41%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$10.57 MUR 495

138.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$29.00 MUR 1,357

9.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$34.43 MUR 1,612

99.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$6.30 MUR 295

-22.86%

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

$226 MX$3,828

$128 MUR 5,982

76.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

$7,830 MUR 366.5K

-46.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$79.2 MUR 3,707

-40.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$75.3 MUR 3,525

-42.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$120 MUR 5,598

-32.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$78.8 MUR 3,686

16.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$587 MUR 27.5K

84.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$396 MUR 18.5K

3.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,095 MUR 51.2K

80.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$866 MUR 40.5K

47.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

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 7, 2026

Last update for Grand-Gaube: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $587 in Grand-Gaube. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $38.00 in Grand-Gaube for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $221 per month, with Grand-Gaube cheaper across the board.

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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,050 including rent). Grand-Gaube is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $1,575 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $587 in Grand-Gaube. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,050 in Grand-Gaube – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,050 in Grand-Gaube versus $1,305 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 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.