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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,401 in Grenada.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,032 in Grenada.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,663 in Grenada.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 7% less than in Grenada, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Grenada is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$12.01 EC$32.43

-0.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$43.96 EC$119

7.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.56 EC$23.11

37.27%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$2.82 EC$7.62

46.10%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$2.02 EC$5.46

-30.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$1.54 EC$4.15

-40.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$1.90 EC$5.12

68.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$3.62 EC$9.77

95.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$4.37 EC$11.79

-61.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$1.94 EC$5.22

10.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$1.99 EC$5.36

-11.06%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$4.11 EC$11.09

-31.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$19.40 EC$52.4

-34.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$8.10 EC$21.88

-75.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.83 EC$4.95

-32.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$3.78 EC$10.20

-67.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$5.67 EC$15.30

-18.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$10.92 EC$29.47

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.51 EC$4.08

11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$3.01 EC$8.13

-7.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

$1.53 EC$4.14

-60.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

$48.08 EC$130

-38.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$6.63 EC$17.90

-20.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$9.33 EC$25.19

-38.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.38 EC$3.71

11.59%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$16.5K EC$44.6K

56.14%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

$202 EC$545

-55.05%

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

$25.19 MX$427

$45.10 EC$122

-44.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$49.02 EC$132

-35.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$35.35 EC$95.5

94.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

$17.31 EC$46.75

69.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

$9.38 EC$25.33

-48.19%

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

$226 MX$3,828

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$703 EC$1,898

54.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$555 EC$1,498

-26.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,207 EC$3,260

63.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$942 EC$2,542

36.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$454 EC$1,225

70.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

43.12%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Grenada: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen and $703 in Grenada. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Playa del Carmen pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $44.00 in Grenada for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $258 per month, with Grenada 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 Grenada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Grenada differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,401 including rent). Playa del Carmen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 70% 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: $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $703 in Grenada. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Playa del Carmen – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $44.00 in Grenada. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 62% less than in Grenada. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,401 in Grenada, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Grenada. The gap between the two cities makes Playa del Carmen 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 Grenada 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 Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Grenada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.