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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,282 in Fajardo versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,556 in Fajardo versus $2,279 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,830 in Fajardo versus $3,292 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Fajardo is roughly 1% more expensive than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Fajardo 6% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.93 $9.93

$11.60 MX$200

-14.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.6 $83.6

$47.11 MX$812

77.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.38 $9.38

$11.88 MX$205

-21.04%

Cappuccino

$3.78 $3.78

$3.98 MX$68.6

-5.03%

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

$1.86 $1.86

$1.43 MX$24.60

30.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.82 MX$14.22

74.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.19 MX$55.0

-6.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$6.79 MX$117

-24.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.68 MX$28.89

35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.20 MX$37.88

42.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.71 MX$29.45

41.52%

Eggs

$5.68 $5.68

$2.74 MX$47.26

107.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$9.58 MX$165

-46.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 $9.43

$9.01 MX$155

4.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.20 $13.20

$12.81 MX$221

3.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.89 MX$49.81

72.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.50 MX$25.81

76.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$2.15 MX$37.03

124.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$2.26 MX$38.96

114.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.98 MX$34.15

89.39%

Onion (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.99 MX$34.30

103.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.23 MX$21.28

187.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.20 MX$20.63

36.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.41 $11.41

$4.55 MX$78.5

150.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 $10.25

$10.37 MX$179

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.62 MX$27.91

84.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.88 MX$49.67

40.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.35

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$5.39 MX$92.9

-52.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$3.73 MX$64.3

-60.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.07 $42.07

$5.77 MX$99.5

629.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.54 MX$26.48

-40.26%

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

$39.7K $39.7K

$22.5K MX$388.8K

76.09%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$26.1K MX$449.3K

8.98%

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

$324 $324

$91.4 MX$1,576

254.26%

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

$70.3 $70.3

$25.20 MX$435

179.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$31.24 MX$539

127.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 $101

$67.2 MX$1,159

49.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$502

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 $10.31

$4.86 MX$83.8

112.14%

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

$832 $832

$224 MX$3,856

272.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K $12.3K

$4,229 MX$72.9K

191.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.5 $56.5

$47.10 MX$812

19.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 $61.7

$44.29 MX$764

39.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$80.1 MX$1,381

37.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$92.7 MX$1,598

20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-5.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,728

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$990 $990

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-22.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$69.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.45

-42.79%

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

Last update for Fajardo: September 13, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Fajardo and $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $84.0 in Fajardo vs $47.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $370 vs $276 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

Fajardo vs Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Fajardo. 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 $1,923 in Fajardo and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Fajardo versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Fajardo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,282 per month in Fajardo versus $1,266 in Playa del Carmen – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,282 in Fajardo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Playa del Carmen but tight or insufficient in Fajardo. 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 $1,266 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Playa del Carmen hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Playa del Carmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Fajardo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.