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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,958 per month in Falmouth vs $1,293 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,002 per month in Falmouth vs $2,334 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,047 per month in Falmouth vs $3,374 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

Falmouth costs about 51% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Falmouth sits 42% above the global median, while Playa del Carmen is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.27 £15.78

$11.71 MX$199

81.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.4 £70.8

$46.59 MX$791

104.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 £7.21

$11.65 MX$198

-16.57%

Cappuccino

$4.83 £3.58

$4.09 MX$69.5

18.09%

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

$2.28 £1.69

$1.37 MX$23.34

66.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 £1.02

$0.83 MX$14.16

66.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 £4.90

$3.35 MX$56.9

97.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.70 £4.97

$6.91 MX$117

-3.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.73 MX$29.33

-3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 £1.52

$2.26 MX$38.39

-9.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 £1.31

$1.77 MX$30.05

Eggs

$4.31 £3.19

$2.73 MX$46.41

57.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.02 £2.98

$9.18 MX$156

-56.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.18 £6.07

$8.92 MX$151

-8.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.00 £9.64

$12.60 MX$214

3.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 £1.66

$3.02 MX$51.3

-25.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.57 MX$26.68

14.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 £1.45

$2.13 MX$36.10

-7.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 £1.61

$2.26 MX$38.46

-3.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 £1.66

$2.00 MX$34.04

11.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 £0.97

$2.06 MX$35.06

-36.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.18 MX$20.04

61.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.20 MX$20.45

56.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.59 £17.49

$4.63 MX$78.7

409.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.04 £7.45

$10.69 MX$182

-6.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 £1.95

$1.62 MX$27.50

62.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 £1.20

$2.88 MX$48.93

-44.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.91 £4.38

$0.57 MX$9.74

936.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.83 MX$507

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 £2.46

$5.45 MX$92.5

-39.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.02 £2.98

$3.70 MX$62.9

8.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.79 £24.32

$5.98 MX$102

448.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.55 MX$26.38

25.16%

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

$39.4K £29.2K

$22.3K MX$379.2K

76.41%

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

$41.8K £31.0K

$25.9K MX$440.7K

61.00%

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

$273 £203

$89.1 MX$1,514

206.44%

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

$16.52 £12.26

$25.04 MX$425

-34.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.32 £32.13

$31.50 MX$535

37.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.6 £43.44

$67.8 MX$1,151

-13.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.92 MX$491

Cinema Ticket

$12.01 £8.91

$5.05 MX$85.8

137.82%

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

$2,334 £1,731

$225 MX$3,820

937.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K £25.4K

$4,222 MX$71.7K

710.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 £41.35

$47.44 MX$806

17.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.40 £28.48

$44.98 MX$764

-14.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 £95.6

$82.0 MX$1,392

57.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.3 £44.73

$92.1 MX$1,564

-34.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 £606

$1,069 MX$18.2K

-23.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$792 £587

$405 MX$6,884

95.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 £1,571

$1,935 MX$32.9K

9.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 £972

$1,301 MX$22.1K

0.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,995 MX$67.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,626 MX$112.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$749 MX$12.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.5

11.45

-69.43%

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

Last update for Falmouth: August 29, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $817 in Falmouth versus $1,069 in Playa del Carmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Falmouth versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $270 in Falmouth vs $277 in Playa del Carmen – so Falmouth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Yes – Falmouth is pricier by about 51%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,937 per month in Falmouth and $1,940 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Falmouth and $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Falmouth – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,293, than in Falmouth at $1,958. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Falmouth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Falmouth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.