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: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $914 in Grand-Gaube.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,474 in Grand-Gaube.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,034 in Grand-Gaube.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 42% more expensive than Grand-Gaube, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Grand-Gaube 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$6.75 MUR 319

73.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$43.65 MUR 2,062

-4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$6.99 MUR 330

52.22%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$2.57 MUR 122

36.96%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$1.01 MUR 47.73

49.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.56 MUR 26.33

73.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$2.23 MUR 106

32.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$3.39 MUR 160

31.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.08 MUR 51.2

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$0.65 MUR 30.84

190.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.26 MUR 59.7

30.16%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.05 MUR 97.0

22.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$12.08 MUR 571

-30.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$3.20 MUR 151

160.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$12.70 MUR 600

-15.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$1.28 MUR 60.6

103.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.50 MUR 71.0

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.31 MUR 61.7

45.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.12 MUR 52.9

85.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.03 MUR 48.67

72.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$0.85 MUR 40.33

157.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.83 MUR 39.36

25.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.54 MUR 25.37

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$6.53 MUR 308

-37.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$6.26 MUR 296

64.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.25 MUR 59.0

36.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$2.14 MUR 101

20.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$1.03 MUR 48.87

-50.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$4.46 MUR 211

-26.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$2.61 MUR 124

-4.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$20.05 MUR 947

-83.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$1.40 MUR 66.3

-6.43%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$35.8K MUR 1.7M

-15.34%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$28.5K MUR 1.3M

-17.82%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$49.93 MUR 2,359

65.97%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$18.02 MUR 851

23.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$34.01 MUR 1,607

-13.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$38.16 MUR 1,803

35.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$6.17 MUR 292

-17.83%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$65.1 MUR 3,077

208.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$3,957 MUR 186.9K

31.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$26.34 MUR 1,244

40.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$25.92 MUR 1,225

53.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$65.0 MUR 3,069

20.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$33.49 MUR 1,582

160.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$508 MUR 24.0K

91.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$354 MUR 16.7K

31.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$963 MUR 45.5K

70.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$721 MUR 34.0K

69.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Grand-Gaube: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $508 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 $185, 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 42% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $914 including rent). Grand-Gaube is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,370 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $508 in Grand-Gaube. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,297 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $914 in Grand-Gaube – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $914 in Grand-Gaube versus $1,297 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 42% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.