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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,715 in Grundarfjordur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,970 in Grundarfjordur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,362 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,225 in Grundarfjordur.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 24% less than in Grundarfjordur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 5% below, Grundarfjordur is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$202

$29.54 ISK 3,564

-59.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$801

$135 ISK 16.3K

-64.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$26.97 ISK 3,254

-56.43%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$69.7

$6.94 ISK 838

-40.63%

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

$1.40 MX$23.66

$3.33 ISK 401

-57.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.43

$3.18 ISK 383

-71.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.2

$14.21 ISK 1,715

-77.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$12.21 ISK 1,473

-42.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.35

$2.10 ISK 253

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.36

$4.27 ISK 516

-49.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.00

$3.60 ISK 434

-50.83%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.60

$7.15 ISK 863

-60.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$21.18 ISK 2,555

-56.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$156

$25.22 ISK 3,043

-63.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$42.21 ISK 5,092

-70.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$49.90

$3.43 ISK 414

-13.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.70

$2.81 ISK 339

-43.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.58

$3.29 ISK 397

-32.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$39.96

$6.20 ISK 748

-61.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.70

$3.92 ISK 473

-49.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.47

$1.70 ISK 205

16.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$20.97

$3.70 ISK 446

-66.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.48

$1.78 ISK 215

-32.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$77.8

$14.17 ISK 1,709

-67.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$23.80 ISK 2,872

-55.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.60

$3.73 ISK 450

-54.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$46.91

$3.36 ISK 405

-17.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.19

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$502

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.5

$6.81 ISK 821

-23.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.7

$2.86 ISK 345

27.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$97.8

$74.8 ISK 9,019

-92.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.01

$1.93 ISK 232

-20.21%

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

$22.8K MX$385.5K

$50.3K ISK 6.1M

-54.67%

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

$25.8K MX$436.5K

$53.6K ISK 6.5M

-51.86%

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

$90.7 MX$1,533

$88.3 ISK 10.7K

2.71%

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

$25.19 MX$426

$32.53 ISK 3,924

-22.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$537

$83.0 ISK 10.0K

-61.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,163

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$497

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.2

$19.37 ISK 2,337

-74.91%

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

$226 MX$3,816

$1,205 ISK 145.4K

-81.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$70.9K

$30.9K ISK 3.7M

-86.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$801

$158 ISK 19.0K

-69.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$735

$66.7 ISK 8,042

-34.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,356

$180 ISK 21.8K

-55.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,545

$247 ISK 29.8K

-63.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,910

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.4K

$1,148 ISK 138.5K

484.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

8.88

28.94%

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 Grundarfjordur: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $135 in Grundarfjordur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $625 per month, with Playa del Carmen 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 Grundarfjordur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Grundarfjordur. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa del Carmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,958 in Playa del Carmen and $2,573 in Grundarfjordur to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 125% higher in Grundarfjordur. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,715 in Grundarfjordur – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,305 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,715 in Grundarfjordur, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Grundarfjordur. 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 $1,305 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Grundarfjordur 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 31% less than in Grundarfjordur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.