Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gravataí Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Gravataí

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $791 in Gravataí.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,185 in Gravataí.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,580 in Gravataí.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 60% more expensive than in Gravataí, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Gravataí 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$4.01 R$20.59

189.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$18.31 R$94.2

157.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$6.73 R$34.60

76.52%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$2.00 R$10.30

99.00%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.42 R$7.28

0.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$1.06 R$5.43

-22.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$2.30 R$11.82

38.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.86 R$14.68

137.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$0.95 R$4.89

76.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.69 R$8.67

30.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.08 R$5.57

58.33%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$1.91 R$9.82

43.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$10.18 R$52.3

-5.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$4.54 R$23.35

98.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$8.94 R$45.96

43.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.41 R$12.40

19.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.27 R$6.52

18.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.00 R$5.13

115.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.57 R$8.05

43.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$0.84 R$4.32

135.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.09 R$5.61

82.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.81 R$4.19

51.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.80 R$4.11

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.39 R$12.31

90.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$7.98 R$41.06

29.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$0.80 R$4.12

102.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$0.95 R$4.91

203.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$1.40 R$7.20

-57.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$41.30 R$212

-30.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.25 R$6.42

331.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$0.78 R$4.00

378.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$8.26 R$42.49

-30.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$1.11 R$5.69

38.74%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$19.2K R$98.6K

17.59%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$25.3K R$129.9K

3.12%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$66.8 R$344

36.71%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$8.11 R$41.71

210.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$20.57 R$106

51.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$25.40 R$131

164.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

$26.90 R$138

8.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$6.67 R$34.31

-27.14%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$153 R$788

45.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$7,228 R$37.2K

-41.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$50.1 R$257

-5.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$57.7 R$297

-23.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$54.9 R$282

45.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$64.4 R$331

43.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$267 R$1,374

297.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$193 R$993

102.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$494 R$2,541

334.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$322 R$1,656

294.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,596 R$8,204

150.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,116 R$5,739

482.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

$610 R$3,138

24.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.5

-0.43%

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 Gravataí: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $267 in Gravataí. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 24% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $18.00 in Gravataí for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 vs $189 per month, with Gravataí 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 Gravataí: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gravataí is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Playa del Carmen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $267 in Gravataí. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Gravataí – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,266 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $791 in Gravataí – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $791 in Gravataí versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gravataí but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Gravataí the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gravataí is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Playa del Carmen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Gravataí gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.