Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Saint George's

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,204 a month against $1,616 in Saint George's, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,204
/mo nomad
Saint George's
🇬🇩 Grenada
$1,616
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Saint George's

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

A single person spends $1,204 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,616 in Saint George's, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,204
  • Saint George's $1,616

A couple spends around $2,102 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,623 in Saint George's, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,102
  • Saint George's $2,623

A family of three spends $3,000 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $3,631 in Saint George's, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $3,000
  • Saint George's $3,631

Playa del Carmen is about 25% cheaper than Saint George's, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Playa del Carmen sits 11% below the global median, while Saint George's is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Saint George's
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.86 MX$201
$7.38 EC$19.94
47.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.21 MX$817
$137 EC$370
-67.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.76 MX$217
$8.46 EC$22.85
39.01%
Cappuccino
$3.68 MX$68.0
$4.34 EC$11.73
-15.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 MX$24.79
$1.98 EC$5.34
-32.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 MX$15.24
$1.96 EC$5.28
-58.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.06 MX$56.6
$2.83 EC$7.65
8.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.94 MX$91.2
$3.65 EC$9.86
35.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Saint George's
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.17
$3.98 EC$10.74
-63.07%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 MX$40.95
$2.34 EC$6.32
-5.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.32
$1.74 EC$4.69
-14.94%
Eggs
$2.49 MX$45.99
$4.33 EC$11.70
-42.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.52 MX$139
$13.85 EC$37.41
-45.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.96 MX$147
$9.20 EC$24.83
-13.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.57 MX$232
$13.72 EC$37.04
-8.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.78 MX$51.3
$13.35 EC$36.04
-79.18%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 MX$26.37
$2.40 EC$6.48
-40.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.62 MX$48.37
$1.58 EC$4.27
65.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.14 MX$39.49
$5.60 EC$15.11
-61.79%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.38
$2.88 EC$7.78
-29.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 MX$36.74
$3.60 EC$9.73
-44.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.01
$1.13 EC$3.05
0.88%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 MX$22.18
$2.02 EC$5.45
-40.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.26 MX$78.7
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$10.02 MX$185
$15.97 EC$43.12
-37.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.54 MX$28.41
$2.16 EC$5.83
-28.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 MX$49.17
$2.39 EC$6.44
11.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Saint George's
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.53 MX$9.73
$0.90 EC$2.44
-41.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.51 MX$508
$64.8 EC$175
-57.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.90 MX$90.6
$29.68 EC$80.1
-83.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 MX$63.5
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 MX$99.4
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 MX$26.76
$1.42 EC$3.83
2.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$391.0K
$26.0K EC$70.3K
-18.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.0K MX$425.3K
$31.0K EC$83.8K
-25.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Saint George's
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$85.4 MX$1,577
$250 EC$676
-65.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.46 MX$434
$20.68 EC$55.9
13.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.43 MX$525
$51.7 EC$140
-45.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Saint George's
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$62.2 MX$1,149
$37.48 EC$101
65.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.68 MX$530
$18.75 EC$50.6
52.96%
Cinema Ticket
$5.10 MX$94.3
$11.02 EC$29.74
-53.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Saint George's
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$201 MX$3,715
$54.7 EC$148
267.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$3,947 MX$72.9K
$3,346 EC$9,033
17.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Saint George's
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.39 MX$820
$35.20 EC$95.1
26.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.35 MX$764
$44.11 EC$119
-6.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 MX$1,344
$50.5 EC$136
44.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.6 MX$1,656
$87.0 EC$235
3.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Saint George's
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$979 MX$18.1K
$1,138 EC$3,074
-13.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$373 MX$6,887
$440 EC$1,189
-15.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,681 MX$31.1K
$2,021 EC$5,457
-16.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,095 MX$20.2K
$713 EC$1,926
53.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,949 MX$73.0K
$4,206 EC$11.4K
-6.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,137 MX$113.4K
$109.1K EC$294.7K
-94.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Saint George's
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$738 MX$13.6K
$922 EC$2,490
-20.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
7
63.57%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 17, 2026

Last update for Saint George's: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$373
Saint George's
$440 18.1% $67
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$258
Saint George's
$424 64% $165
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Saint George's
$174 13.2% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$137
Saint George's
$323 135% $186
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$112
Saint George's
$98 12.6% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$72
Saint George's
$60 17.8% $13
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$52
Saint George's
$98 * 89.9% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $979 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,138 in Saint George's. 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 25% higher in Saint George's, 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 $44.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $137 in Saint George's. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $424 – making Playa del Carmen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇬🇩 Saint George's
🕒 Local time
19:52 7:52 PM
20:52 8:52 PM
1 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
7,500 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Saint George's 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Saint George's

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 Saint George's: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Saint George's cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Saint George's is pricier by about 34%, 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 $1,806 per month in Playa del Carmen and $2,424 in Saint George's. 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.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Saint George's?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,204 in Playa del Carmen and $1,616 in Saint George's. That's a gap of about 34%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 136% less in Playa del Carmen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Saint George's?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,204, than in Saint George's at $1,616. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint George's it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Saint George's 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 Saint George's?
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, Saint George's makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Playa del Carmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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