Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Grand Turk

For one person, living is cheaper in Grand Turk: $334 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Grand Turk

🇹🇨 Turks and Caicos Islands

$334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Grand Turk

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Grand Turk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Playa del Carmen versus $334 in Grand Turk.

Playa del Carmen $1,204
Grand Turk $334

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,082 in Playa del Carmen versus $516 in Grand Turk.

Playa del Carmen $2,082
Grand Turk $516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,959 in Playa del Carmen versus $697 in Grand Turk.

Playa del Carmen $2,959
Grand Turk $697

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 260% more expensive than in Grand Turk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 12% lower, Grand Turk 75% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$203

$19.87 $19.87

-45.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$808

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$219

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.0

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

$1.28 MX$23.89

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.58

$3.90 $3.90

-80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.0

$12.02 $12.02

-73.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$91.9

$15.28 $15.28

-67.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.20

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.30

$3.66 $3.66

-39.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.40

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.00

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$236

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.49

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.52

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.55

$6.51 $6.51

-67.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.11

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.13

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.36

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.96

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.0

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.76

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.90

$1.92 $1.92

-25.00%

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

$20.7K MX$385.0K

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

$23.5K MX$437.2K

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

$84.8 MX$1,580

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.7

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

$207 MX$3,848

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,382

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,663

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,095

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

$8,035 $8,035

-90.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Last update for Grand Turk: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Grand Turk

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Grand Turk

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Grand Turk

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Grand Turk

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Grand Turk

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Grand Turk

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Grand Turk

–

Cost Breakdown

Grand Turk pays about 11 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇹🇨 Grand Turk

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

20:16 8:16 PM

1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

3,720

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.63 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.74 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Playa del Carmen Grand Turk 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa del Carmen
Grand Turk

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Turk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $334 in Grand Turk, so Grand Turk is about 72% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Playa del Carmen. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 268% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $334 in Grand Turk – Grand Turk is about 72% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $334 in Grand Turk versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Grand Turk but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Grand Turk 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.