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: $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,614 in Grundarfjordur.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,177 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,816 in Grundarfjordur.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,095 in Playa del Carmen versus $4,017 in Grundarfjordur.

Living in Playa del Carmen costs roughly 22% less than in Grundarfjordur, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Playa del Carmen is 6% below, Grundarfjordur is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$26.89 ISK 3,379

-55.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$734

$144 ISK 18.1K

-70.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$22.15 ISK 2,783

-52.96%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.5

$6.23 ISK 783

-43.66%

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

$1.52 MX$26.53

$3.29 ISK 414

-53.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.93

$2.62 ISK 330

-65.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.2

$13.04 ISK 1,639

-76.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.5

$11.38 ISK 1,430

-61.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.86

$1.89 ISK 238

-24.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.03

$4.24 ISK 533

-56.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.60

$3.68 ISK 462

-55.71%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.43

$6.27 ISK 787

-59.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$18.35 ISK 2,306

-53.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$149

$24.33 ISK 3,057

-65.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$42.94 ISK 5,395

-74.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.19

$3.34 ISK 420

-17.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.13

$2.54 ISK 319

-43.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.00

$2.97 ISK 373

-36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.96

$4.86 ISK 611

-55.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.13

$3.69 ISK 463

-51.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.91

$2.36 ISK 296

-5.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$3.09 ISK 389

-65.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.89

$1.99 ISK 250

-45.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$13.44 ISK 1,688

-69.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$23.19 ISK 2,914

-54.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.50

$3.74 ISK 471

-53.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.16

$3.23 ISK 406

-20.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$454

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.2

$6.47 ISK 813

-50.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.78

$2.56 ISK 321

-2.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$85.6 ISK 10.8K

-96.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.98

$2.46 ISK 309

-48.78%

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

$29.7K MX$519.3K

$47.8K ISK 6.0M

-37.95%

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

$23.7K MX$414.3K

$52.0K ISK 6.5M

-54.47%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

$89.5 ISK 11.2K

-8.31%

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

$22.73 MX$398

$27.25 ISK 3,424

-16.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$515

$85.8 ISK 10.8K

-65.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$913

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.3

$17.39 ISK 2,185

-71.65%

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

$202 MX$3,530

$322 ISK 40.5K

-37.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.3K

$30.3K ISK 3.8M

-82.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$629

$137 ISK 17.2K

-73.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$706

$60.8 ISK 7,642

-33.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,397

$183 ISK 23.0K

-56.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,562

$268 ISK 33.7K

-66.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,140

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.4K

$1,122 ISK 141.0K

472.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

9.63

18.59%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Grundarfjordur: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $144 in Grundarfjordur for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $252 vs $598 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 28% 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 $1,888 in Playa del Carmen and $2,421 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 137% higher in Grundarfjordur. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,614 in Grundarfjordur – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,259 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,614 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 $1,259 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 28% less than in Grundarfjordur. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.