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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,358 in Grecia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,852 in Grecia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,346 in Grecia.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 7% less than in Grecia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Grecia is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$8.68 ₡3,883

38.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$39.25 ₡17.6K

6.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$9.26 ₡4,144

16.09%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.54 ₡1,135

37.80%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$1.36 ₡609

6.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$1.01 ₡450

-12.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$2.11 ₡945

39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.64 ₡1,183

70.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.83 ₡819

-21.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$0.94 ₡422

95.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$2.15 ₡963

-26.98%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.99 ₡1,336

-16.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$6.01 ₡2,689

37.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$3.87 ₡1,730

117.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$13.82 ₡6,181

-22.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.15 ₡961

21.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.45 ₡647

-0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.22 ₡544

60.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.17 ₡523

78.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.60 ₡717

15.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.35 ₡604

60.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$1.04 ₡463

-0.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.96 ₡878

-45.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$5.41 ₡2,422

-24.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$12.54 ₡5,610

-18.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.84 ₡822

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.36 ₡608

86.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$1.77 ₡792

-71.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.83 ₡820

76.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.79 ₡802

34.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$8.08 ₡3,613

-60.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.40 ₡625

-5.71%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$38.0K ₡17.0M

-21.91%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$33.0K ₡14.7M

-28.22%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$83.1 ₡37.2K

-1.30%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$26.00 ₡11.6K

-11.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$58.6 ₡26.2K

-48.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$44.28 ₡19.8K

17.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

$23.95 ₡10.7K

-22.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$7.04 ₡3,149

-29.26%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$576 ₡257.5K

-65.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$12.4K ₡5.6M

-57.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$61.6 ₡27.6K

-42.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$50.6 ₡22.6K

-20.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$127 ₡56.6K

-37.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$106 ₡47.5K

-16.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$391 ₡174.9K

142.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$600 ₡268.3K

-20.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$709 ₡317.2K

131.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$621 ₡277.7K

95.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

$652 ₡291.6K

0.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.17

12.29%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Last update for Grecia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $391 in Grecia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $39.00 in Grecia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $229 per month, with Grecia 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 Grecia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Grecia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 0% 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $391 in Grecia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $197 in Playa del Carmen versus $576 in Grecia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $39.00 in Grecia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,358 in Grecia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Grecia. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Playa del Carmen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Grecia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.