Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Graz

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,215 a month against $2,204 in Graz, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,215
/mo nomad
Graz
🇦🇹 Austria
$2,204
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Graz

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 Graz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,215 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,204 in Graz, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,215
  • Graz $2,204

A couple spends around $2,144 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,268 in Graz, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,144
  • Graz $3,268

A family of three spends $3,072 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $4,332 in Graz, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,072
  • Graz $4,332

Playa del Carmen is about 45% cheaper than Graz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 9% below the global median, while Graz is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Graz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.97 MX$201
$16.76 €14.96
-34.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.85 MX$823
$59.5 €53.1
-24.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.92 MX$219
$13.66 €12.19
-12.74%
Cappuccino
$3.80 MX$69.9
$4.32 €3.86
-12.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.31 MX$24.08
$3.94 €3.52
-66.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 MX$15.72
$2.77 €2.47
-68.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.21 MX$59.0
$5.76 €5.14
-44.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.01 MX$92.0
$5.51 €4.91
-9.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Graz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 MX$26.77
$1.78 €1.59
-17.98%
White Bread (500g)
$2.33 MX$42.72
$2.86 €2.55
-18.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.48
$2.83 €2.53
-49.12%
Eggs
$2.46 MX$45.20
$5.03 €4.49
-51.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.70 MX$141
$24.53 €21.89
-68.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.89 MX$145
$15.10 €13.48
-47.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.80 MX$235
$23.42 €20.90
-45.35%
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 MX$53.6
$2.92 €2.60
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 MX$26.11
$2.47 €2.20
-42.51%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.57 MX$47.10
$3.11 €2.78
-17.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.24
$3.71 €3.31
-42.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.75
$1.97 €1.76
-1.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 MX$35.55
$2.05 €1.83
-5.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 MX$21.13
$1.94 €1.74
-40.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.42
$0.95 €0.85
28.42%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.38 MX$80.3
$7.89 €7.04
-44.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.85 MX$181
$9.17 €8.19
7.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.23
$1.58 €1.41
-2.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 MX$49.86
$2.27 €2.03
19.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Graz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.52 MX$9.64
$3.64 €3.25
-85.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.42 MX$503
$75.3 €67.2
-63.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.91 MX$90.2
$5.39 €4.81
-8.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.52 MX$64.7
$2.64 €2.36
33.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 MX$104
$35.10 €31.33
-83.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 MX$28.27
$1.99 €1.78
-22.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$389.9K
$29.9K €26.7K
-29.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K MX$449.6K
$27.8K €24.8K
-11.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Graz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.6 MX$1,535
$376 €336
-77.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.03 MX$441
$13.76 €12.28
74.64%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.33 MX$539
$35.59 €31.76
-17.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Graz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.9 MX$1,191
$38.86 €34.68
66.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.46 MX$541
$21.97 €19.61
34.09%
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MX$93.4
$13.34 €11.91
-61.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Graz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$208 MX$3,813
$519 €463
-59.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,045 MX$74.3K
$5,618 €5,013
-27.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Graz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.55 MX$818
$105 €94.1
-57.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.06 MX$772
$42.03 €37.50
0.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.5 MX$1,387
$113 €101
-33.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.4 MX$1,678
$168 €150
-45.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Graz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$986 MX$18.1K
$831 €742
18.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$385 MX$7,072
$689 €615
-44.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,713 MX$31.5K
$1,452 €1,296
17.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,108 MX$20.4K
$1,164 €1,039
-4.77%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,016 MX$73.7K
$5,864 €5,233
-31.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,247 MX$114.7K
$3,250 €2,900
92.21%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Graz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$758 MX$13.9K
$3,155 €2,815
-75.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
3.58
219.83%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 4, 2026

Last update for Graz: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$385
Graz
$689 78.8% $304
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$260
Graz
$418 60.4% $157
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$204
Graz
$294 44% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Graz
$426 211% $289
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$114
Graz
$193 69.1% $79
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$75
Graz
$66 12.6% $9.5
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Graz
$108 108% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Playa del Carmen versus $831 in Graz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 316% higher in Graz, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $59.0 in Graz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $260 vs $418 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇦🇹 Graz
🕒 Local time
05:29 5:29 AM
12:29 12:29 PM
7 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
331,359
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Graz 9,240 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Graz

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 Graz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Graz cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Graz is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,823 per month in Playa del Carmen and $3,306 in Graz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Playa del Carmen and in Graz?
Groceries cost about 60% more in Graz, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Playa del Carmen or in Graz?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Playa del Carmen and $59.0 in Graz. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Graz?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,215, than in Graz at $2,204. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Graz it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Graz more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Playa del Carmen or Graz?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Graz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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