Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfield, CA and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa del Carmen: $1,202 a month against $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $33,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Fairfield, CA and in Playa del Carmen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Fairfield, CA and in Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,978 in Fairfield, CA versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen.

Fairfield, CA $3,978
Playa del Carmen $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,242 in Fairfield, CA versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

Fairfield, CA $5,242
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,507 in Fairfield, CA versus $2,962 in Playa del Carmen.

Fairfield, CA $6,507
Playa del Carmen $2,962

Living in Fairfield, CA is roughly 231% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fairfield, CA is 194% above, Playa del Carmen is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$10.67 MX$199

102.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$43.80 MX$815

102.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$11.79 MX$219

1.87%

Cappuccino

$6.94 $6.94

$3.79 MX$70.5

83.11%

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

$3.49 $3.49

$1.30 MX$24.14

168.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.83 MX$15.51

143.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$3.15 MX$58.6

153.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$4.93 MX$91.8

45.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.41 MX$26.22

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.20 MX$40.86

100.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$1.47 MX$27.40

218.37%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$2.50 MX$46.47

121.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$7.29 MX$136

93.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$7.95 MX$148

91.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 $17.77

$12.86 MX$239

38.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$2.90 MX$53.9

110.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.38 MX$25.74

87.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$2.49 MX$46.36

155.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$2.03 MX$37.78

225.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.02 MX$37.69

92.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.90 MX$35.42

86.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.14 MX$21.30

104.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.24 MX$23.06

66.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$4.27 MX$79.5

177.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 $10.18

$9.81 MX$183

3.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.59 MX$29.51

32.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.75 MX$51.1

-22.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.51 MX$9.58

284.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 $87.1

$27.39 MX$510

217.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.76 MX$88.6

-38.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.25 MX$60.5

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.14 $29.14

$5.39 MX$100

440.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.53 MX$28.44

-6.54%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$21.2K MX$394.8K

32.84%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$23.3K MX$432.9K

12.28%

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

$193 $193

$83.5 MX$1,554

130.79%

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

$48.25 $48.25

$23.19 MX$431

108.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$27.61 MX$514

164.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$56.4 MX$1,050

122.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.7 $73.7

$28.19 MX$525

161.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$5.00 MX$93.1

192.20%

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

$1,293 $1,293

$207 MX$3,854

524.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$5,231 MX$97.4K

326.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$43.45 MX$809

17.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.08 $37.08

$42.54 MX$792

-12.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$72.8 MX$1,354

47.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$88.4 MX$1,645

26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,396 $2,396

$995 MX$18.5K

140.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$382 MX$7,116

535.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$1,674 MX$31.2K

85.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 $2,967

$1,081 MX$20.1K

174.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,719 $3,719

$3,909 MX$72.7K

-4.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,665 $3,665

$6,138 MX$114.2K

-40.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,749 $4,749

$832 MX$15.5K

470.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

11.45

-43.41%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1%

Playa del Carmen

$382 31.8% 84.3% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7%

Playa del Carmen

$257 21.4% 44.4% $206

Eating Out

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3%

Playa del Carmen

$200 16.7% 45.7% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9%

Playa del Carmen

$134 11.2% 57.2% $180

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9%

Playa del Carmen

$66 5.5% 57% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5%

Playa del Carmen

$111 9.3% 19.5% $27

Getting Around

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7%

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2% 53.1% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,396 in Fairfield, CA and $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfield, CA pays about 5.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Fairfield, CA vs $44 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $463 vs $257 per month, with Playa del Carmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

20:56 8:56 PM

3 h ahead of Fairfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,133

149,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.95 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fairfield, CA Playa del Carmen 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Fairfield, CA
Playa del Carmen

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

Fairfield, CA vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Fairfield, CA. 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 in Fairfield, CA is about 5.7 times higher, 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: $2,396 in Fairfield, CA versus $995 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,978 per month in Fairfield, CA versus $1,202 in Playa del Carmen – Playa del Carmen is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Playa del Carmen runs roughly 69% less than in Fairfield, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,202 in Playa del Carmen versus $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fairfield, CA. 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.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Fairfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.